SNOW IN THE PNW 2011/2012!

[ACH]

I'm not so optimistic about a cohesive bond. I expect tricky skinning on 1-2 feet of sluffable new over the crust (like the weekend before MLK weekend) and sluffing on anything steeper than 30* or so on the descents. I hope I'm wrong about that, but right now I think a low angle tour will be the best bet.

I guess this will depend on your elevation. Everything up to 52k that I experienced is under the crust I described earlier (if you are around the pass anyway)...

[userA]

did the crust break before the buckles broke

[auvgeek]

AlpenChronicHabitual - Thanks for the firsthand avy report. That's great stuff.

[Nick_C_123]

Darn heck the forecast is looking prime for some longer tours to get done on Friday. Planning on a solo Muir-ish at this point. If anybody on here wants to meet up or needs a partner for something a little more adventurous hit me up. Leaving the parking lot around 7.


FORECAST FOR PARADISE
Late Afternoon: Snow. Steady temperature around 32. West southwest wind around 18 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 5 to 9 inches possible.

Tonight: Snow. The snow could be heavy at times. Low around 23. West southwest wind 15 to 18 mph decreasing to between 6 and 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 9 to 13 inches possible.

Thursday: Snow showers. High near 35. West wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 19. Light and variable wind. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 34. Calm wind.

[ACH]

AlpenChronicHabitual - Thanks for the firsthand avy report. That's great stuff.

You're welcome...
Though I would prefer to characterize it as more of a "conditions" report, with some localized snowpack observations thrown in...

A further disclaimer:
NWAC is a fantastic resource and should be taken seriously.
Though they will tell you to make your own observations and evaluation on the basis of where you are planing to ski.
If I'm not touring, digging pits and otherwise making a first hand observation,
I make a regular habit of checking in with the pro's that are evaluating it on a daily basis
as a function of their job relative to where I'll be spending my time.

[jonesy]

One thing is for sure,4" of crust w/ deep pow under neath is harder than shit to ski. You could hear the skis ripping through the loud powder. Couldn't find a powder ski partner.

[GeezerSteve]

Forecast is calling for a 1 to 2 feet of fresh (wet pow?) on top of the crust between now and the weekend.

[ACH]

Gotcha, yes...
I'm guessing that you are looking at the zone forecast?
The forecast here seems to be making it look like the moisture might be going in more Northerly track?

[kevino]

This has been a great snowpack discussion. I think I will go test out the snowpack right now. My current observations to add: was snowing when i got home from work and went to bed at noon, still snowing now when i just woke up. Will report back.

[bakerpow]

Rode around Baker today, TONS of windloading. Report said 7 inches but there was probably around 4 in the morning. Snowing hard most the day with some windloading reaching around 10 inches to a foot. Fun day, ending better than the beginning.

[doughboyshredder]

In the event I hit a tree, I would prefer to have someone know what line I dropped, and even be able to retrace my tracks if I were not to show-up at the bottom. 20 minutes in the hole is better then overnight...

Agreed. In the case of a tree well suffocation death a couple minutes is too long. But, yeah, hanging out upside down with an air pocket for 20 minutes is a lot better than overnight. I carry an extremely loud safety whistle on my season pass lanyard in my chest pocket. Yelling won't do shit, but that whistle can be heard a mile away.

[GeezerSteve]

Night skiing at Alpy was fantastic last night. Ample new soft pow covering the rain crust. Another 4" fell after we left and it's snowing heavily up there now. Stevens telemetry is similar. Ridging on the way so things can settle down a bit before the weekend. Looks like a great weekend for touring in the right and safe places near the crest.

[cascadianwarrior]

Just got back from Mission where chairs 2 & 3 were on wind hold, leaving only chair 1 to spin. Too bad as the 4" of new snow were actually really nice in some wind-deposited areas. But after 10 laps on the 'bunny hill' it was all I could take and had to split. Hoping for the sake of others they were able to load 3. Bluebird and windy was the name of the game today.

[ACH]

This has been a great snowpack discussion. I think I will go test out the snowpack right now. My current observations to add: was snowing when i got home from work and went to bed at noon, still snowing now when i just woke up. Will report back.

Nice to meet you today...

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Just got back from Mission where chairs 2 & 3 were on wind hold, leaving only chair 1 to spin. Too bad as the 4" of new snow were actually really nice in some wind-deposited areas. But after 10 laps on the 'bunny hill' it was all I could take and had to split. Hoping for the sake of others they were able to load 3. Bluebird and windy was the name of the game today.

I snuck over and skinned up Sitkum and skied Castle twice, pretty nice. They finally loaded 3 @ 1200?. I got first tracks down lift line and did three laps on Johnson's>Rock Garden, titties! Tomorrow should be great, the wind should die down.

[ACH]

I snuck over and skinned up Sitkum and skied Castle twice, pretty nice. They finally loaded 3 @ 1200?. I got first tracks down lift line and did three laps on Johnson's>Rock Garden, titties! Tomorrow should be great, the wind should die down.

I really need to come up and visit your hill some time, never been...

[MagnificentUnicorn]

I really need to come up and visit your hill some time, never been...

Come on a weekend, it's like midweek at Alpental and Steven's. Most everyone left today because of the wind hold, when it looked like they were going to load 3 there was a mad rush of about 10 skiers to get to the chair. I was about 6 chairs back and had my pick of untracked lines.

[PNWbrit]

ACH I highly recommend skiing MR with Aaron.

[spindrift]

...Yelling won't do shit, but that whistle can be heard a mile away.

The acoustics of deep tree wells are pretty funky. I would not bet on a whistle - even a SOLAS, etc type - being heard very far away at all when blown from down in a tree well... No need to ask how I know

I often carry one (and my pack has one built in), but I'm not placing any big bets on anyone hearing it if I'm in a tree well.

[kevino]

Nice to meet you today...

Nice meeting you and others this morning. Nice to put faces (sort of) with names.

Mission ridge is pretty sweet, i'd suggest you check it out as well sometime. You want to tour somewhere saturday?

[ACH]

Come on a weekend, it's like midweek at Alpental and Steven's. Most everyone left today because of the wind hold, when it looked like they were going to load 3 there was a mad rush of about 10 skiers to get to the chair. I was about 6 chairs back and had my pick of untracked lines.

I laughed...
"Mad rush of about 10 people" he says.
On big days I laugh at this place (Alpental) because it gets mobbed by all of the "powder technicians" that come out of the wood work to "slay it huge" for three laps or until they actually require some skill to ski what has become cut up...
Only to disappear again until the next big storm that also brings big lines.

Today wasn't one of those days, but damn did it ski good.

We'll come on over, I'll drop you a PM when we have a plan.

ACH I highly recommend skiing MR with Aaron.

Noted, perhaps you should join in?

[ACH]

Nice meeting you and others this morning. Nice to put faces (sort of) with names.

Mission ridge is pretty sweet, i'd suggest you check it out as well sometime. You want to tour somewhere saturday?

Yeah, possibly...
Check your PM's.

[PNWbrit]

Noted, perhaps you should join in?

I'd love to. It was a bit spring like when we were there last.

[oftpiste]

I'd love to. It was a bit spring like when we were there last.

mission is a great hill. skied there all through college before the new chair went in up high. many COOOOOLD chair rides, but I have big soft spot in my heart for the mountain. I wanna go too.

[farmguy]

mission is a great hill. skied there all through college before the new chair went in up high. many COOOOOLD chair rides, but I have big soft spot in my heart for the mountain. I wanna go too.

Its still a fun hill, I will be putting a few laps on #2 tomorrow.