Feb 6, 2010, Pebble Creek, MRNP

The search for elusive skiable snow at Paradise yielded successful results  in the Pebble Creek drainage to the Nisqually moraine.  Sidnie, Randy and I headed up from the parking lot shortly after 9:00 AM following a few other skiers up to Panorama Point in cool temperatures and crusty snow.  Above Pan Pt. we diverted to the left and surveyed the slopes leading onto the Nisqually Glacier.  The wind was increasing from the SE and snow was being transported onto the lee slopes.  We climbed to near McClure Rock and dug a pit at 7,000 ft on a NW aspect similar to the  slope we intended to ski.  The results were interesting.  There was an soft slab layer 6 inches deep on top of a crust from earlier in the week.  Below that was 12 inches of consolidated snow on top of another crust which took 5 hits from the shoulder to move.  Snow was faceting on this layer.  Two feet further down was the hard ice crust from the mid-January rain/warm cycle. And on top of the crust was hoar frost ??? The entire 30 inch column came out with a shovel shear. Fortunately, the snow on top of the crust was low density so we decided to ski the slope "lightly" one at a time.   I'll be looking for this layer in the future and hope it bonds better over time. 

We skied the 800ft to where Pebble Creek meets the glacier, skinned  back up and did another lap in a more narrow chute skiers right of first line as the clouds moved in the light went flat.  Snow was great with some wind effect.  We traversed and skinned out at Glacier Vista and joined the throngs battling breakable crust which was almost un-skiable back to the parking lot.