Sunday Repairs

Our goal today was to evaluate the repairs needed from damage to the lookout, but we were treated with a sunny ski tour.

• With excellent visibility, we were able to view all the surrounding peaks.  Surprisingly, we could not see any evidence of recent avalanches.
• During our ascent, the day was calm, dominated by solar radiation and warming temperatures.
• We were limited on time, so hasty pits revealed at 7500 feet, 10cm of soft snow sitting on a 3cm knife hard crust.  Under this crust, the soft snow below was faceting.
• At 430pm, our descent on a southwest slope told the story of the sun’s impact of snow conditions.  From 7500 to 6500 feet, the surface snow remained dry, but was stiffer from recent winds. 
• Descending from 6500 feet, the snow’s increasing moisture turned to mash potatoes at 5000 feet.  
• Below 4500 feet, the skiing was very sporty with more obstacles emerging and more patches of grass.
• It was a bonus to observe large wolf tracks that were following rabbit tracks around 5500 feet.