December 19, 2009, Snoqualmie Pass
12/19/09
WA Snoqualmie Pass
2508
1
Been working, so I needed to get December turns in. I also wanted to see the snowpack before the rain consolidated it.
Traveled up low angled slopes (10-20 degrees) to above 5k. Whoomphing began in earnest in fairly open terrain above ~4.5k; some of the coolest whoomphs I've ever felt - one traveled ~30m off to my left, then turned around, went back underfoot, and ~30m to my right. Whoomph size scaled with the smallest definable open area, without limit. I was surprised to see quite a few people out, some of whom were tracking up an open ~35 degree WNW slope at and below 4.5k. No releases nor crowns seen all day. Test slope at ~3.5-4k sheared easily about 8" down, but propagation was nonexistent.
Dug a pit to the ground (5'+) on a sheltered but open ridgeline above 5k on a 10 degree slope where whoomphs were prevalent. Of primary concern was a hard crust about a foot down - clean shears above, sugar snow below (hence the double whoomph?). The isolated block in the video failed at CT 17 above the crust, which was higher than I'd anticipated. Proper isolation of the block might have gotten a lower score on the sugar. With the easy shear, filling in the pit took all of a minute by mining the top layer from the slope above....
Far from professional pit video is here. Fun little shovel shear is here. Neither of these videos should be regarded as instructional.... Compression test is omitted from the video, since you can't see it drop anyway. "crunchy rounds" were more faceted than I'd thought at first glance.
Skied my ascent route - nothing else seemed like a good idea. A brief excursion into the trees found a tree-drip crust forming.
Skiing was lousy in the heavy schmoo, but the instability made the trip worthwhile. Very wet.
38 degrees and raining at the pass when I left at 4:30.
Happy holidays!
Traveled up low angled slopes (10-20 degrees) to above 5k. Whoomphing began in earnest in fairly open terrain above ~4.5k; some of the coolest whoomphs I've ever felt - one traveled ~30m off to my left, then turned around, went back underfoot, and ~30m to my right. Whoomph size scaled with the smallest definable open area, without limit. I was surprised to see quite a few people out, some of whom were tracking up an open ~35 degree WNW slope at and below 4.5k. No releases nor crowns seen all day. Test slope at ~3.5-4k sheared easily about 8" down, but propagation was nonexistent.
Dug a pit to the ground (5'+) on a sheltered but open ridgeline above 5k on a 10 degree slope where whoomphs were prevalent. Of primary concern was a hard crust about a foot down - clean shears above, sugar snow below (hence the double whoomph?). The isolated block in the video failed at CT 17 above the crust, which was higher than I'd anticipated. Proper isolation of the block might have gotten a lower score on the sugar. With the easy shear, filling in the pit took all of a minute by mining the top layer from the slope above....
Far from professional pit video is here. Fun little shovel shear is here. Neither of these videos should be regarded as instructional.... Compression test is omitted from the video, since you can't see it drop anyway. "crunchy rounds" were more faceted than I'd thought at first glance.
Skied my ascent route - nothing else seemed like a good idea. A brief excursion into the trees found a tree-drip crust forming.
Skiing was lousy in the heavy schmoo, but the instability made the trip worthwhile. Very wet.
38 degrees and raining at the pass when I left at 4:30.
Happy holidays!
Thanks for the thorough snow report. Where were you exactly?
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