Cold on the Garden Wall

Went to the Continental Divide to check on current conditions before northerly winds increase, and to check on the snowpack at upper elevations. Snow line varies with aspect and how close you are to the Divide.

• On east and north aspects you can get on continuous snow above about 3,500 feet.
• On south and west aspects, and closer to Lake McDonald, continuous snow starts closer to 4,800 feet.
• We traveled on westerly aspects, northwest, west, and southwest.

  • Below 5,500 feet we used ski crampons to ascend a hard melt-freeze crust.

  • Between 5,500 and 6,500 feet, we used them because the 2-4 inches of recent snow was low-density and not sticking well to an underlying crust.

  • Above 6,500 feet we found 5-7 inches of loose, and wind-affected recent snow above an older crust - ski crampons still useful. Recent drifts from southwest winds were only about 4 inches thick, soft, and we got minimal cracking around our skis.

• On a northwest aspect above treeline we found 8 inches of loose, low-density snow above older wind deposits. If winds pick up from the northeast as they're forecast, the wind slab machine will have ammo.
• We found some well developed weak layers in the snowpack at upper elevations. These consisted of large facets below the mid-January crust and near the ground. I don't expect these layers to become a problem again until we go through a big warming trend, or rain, when water can percolate down into the snowpack.
• It was surprisingly calm to 7,300 feet. Though we was blowing snow from northeast winds across gaps in the Garden Wall. Winds also picked up at mid-elevations as we descended where we saw light to moderate blowing snow from northwest winds. It was cold with temps only reaching 20 degrees at 7,300 feet while we were there.
• A round of small (D1-1.5) loose wet sluffs and small roller balls ran on sunny aspects from middle and upper elevations during the last warm up on Friday.

We skied boot-top powder on steep northwest facing terrain with no sluffing, and no signs of instability.