Jan 11, 2007, Hyak/Alpental BC
1/11/07
WA Snoqualmie Pass
3675
6
Left Oly around 5:30 in hopes of an early start, but the road situation put a damper on that with a 8:30 arrival at Hyak. Once there the sun was out and the temp was cold. Skinned up under the lift in 6-8 inches of new light fluff over the raincrust. Significant surface hoar had formed overnight making everything sparkle. The skiing was good but would've been great if the raincrust wasn't there. Oh well. Skied one down the face and one down one of the blues which proved to be more enjoyable and quiet. Got bored and went over to Alpy where the BC gates had opened and the outback being pretty skied out. Started skinning up fom lot four around noon. Tons of people coming out from all areas that are lift accessed. Entered the source lake area to see nice skin track up to Chair. I am thankful to those who skinned up first, a very enjoyable ascent. Saw three guys coming down pretty stoked carving nice powder 8s down from the saddle. The snow up at Alpy was a lot better so I headed up to the lower bowl of Chair right above the saddle. Seemed a good foot deep in spots over the same crust. Skiied the chute skiers left as you are looking up from the lake, and came down the left flank to the lake. Really nice turns, a lot of the time the raincrust wasn't touched, but it definately let you know when you skied deep enough. All in all a really good day with nice light fluff. Lots of point release evidence, but stability seemed to be pretty good.
glad to read a tr from this week...I've been wondering what the heck the snowpack was like up around snoqualmie, thanks for posting!
Is the 'crust' that you saw out by Chair breakable or is it pretty much boilerplate rain-ice crust?
Is the 'crust' that you saw out by Chair breakable or is it pretty much boilerplate rain-ice crust?
I skied at Summit West on Weds 1/10 and the 4 to 10 inches of superdry pow pow was on top of hard unbreakable rain crust. I didn't dig a pit or anything but its gonna take some mighty weather changes to affect that layer.
Jimmy O
Jimmy O
I'd say that the crust is pretty much boilerplate. I also agree that some major weather changes will need to happen to affect that crust. Kept thrusting my pole down through the fluff to try and break it, or to see if i was in a windslab area, and it was just like hitting concrete.....
I skied the Phantom on Snoqualmie yesterday. I found the skinning awkward because
the new snow would give way to the boilerplate underneath. So if you have ski crampons,
bring em if you're going anywhere steep. Took one turn in the Slot, but couldn't hold an edge
with my ultra-dull-edged powder boards. I booted down 100 feet or so and still boilerplate
with a couple inches on top, so I opted for the Phantom which was good 10" or so dust on crust.
the new snow would give way to the boilerplate underneath. So if you have ski crampons,
bring em if you're going anywhere steep. Took one turn in the Slot, but couldn't hold an edge
with my ultra-dull-edged powder boards. I booted down 100 feet or so and still boilerplate
with a couple inches on top, so I opted for the Phantom which was good 10" or so dust on crust.
same over below Silver Peak, toured up below the bowl and skied the meadows this morning 1/12/07. six-eight inches of fluff on that impressive crust . little too light of snow on my three pins and leathers for pretty turns but no one else up there to watch me flail. Nice morning though, groomer fellow stopped and told me he had -3 as a temp, I only saw 8 degrees or so on telemetry , wonder what sort of local variation one can have with the air so still.
pretty blue sky
pretty blue sky
alpymarr
Got your skintracks on Friday up Hyak. Thanks. Nice windless blubird day with virtually no one there. You're right though, the raincrust was brutal.
Got your skintracks on Friday up Hyak. Thanks. Nice windless blubird day with virtually no one there. You're right though, the raincrust was brutal.
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