Krusteaz

I visited the Marion Lake Spa and Resort to enjoy "crust ease", and commemorate the 1932 Seattle women's bridge club responsible for easing kitchen chores.

• A 6" hard (P) supportable melt-freeze surface crust was found at low and mid-elevations. Up to 4" of recent snow caps the crust at mid-elevations sheltered from the wind.
• Moderate winds with strong gusts produced moderate wind transport at mid-elevations. A 1-2" soft wind slab sits atop the crust on slopes exposed to the wind. Cracking underfoot was noted but no shooting cracks observed.
• The lower half of Repeater Ridge had swirling downslope winds while the upper half had more typical southwest winds. 
• The Marion Lake trail is a skating rink and I was thankful to have ski crampons.
• The skiing on the south slopes of Repeater Ridge was enjoyable with several inches of snow on a supportable surface.