Nov 5, 2005, Near Green Mountain
11/5/05
2068
0
Despite low expectations, my buddy John dragged me out to Green Mountain yesterday. It ended up being a great start to the season. Road was snow free to ~3,000 ft. A few miles below snow line a tree leaning across the road provides an obstacle. You can drive off the road to the right, underneath the tree. We did this in an old legacy wagon, AWD definitely a plus here. Watch out for a few small rocks there if you have low ground clearance. We continued up the road into relatively dry snow, which was ~12" deep where we parked at the trailhead. It was calm, and we could tell where the sun was behind the clouds, no precip yet (9 or 9:30).
Skinning was possible from TH, although coverage in the trees was only a few inches. We followed a set of skin tracks and snowshoe tracks up the trail to 4,800', where we came across the skier and boarder we had been following. They were enjoying the open S.facing slopes directly above us, on the 5,800' peak about 1mi. SW of Green Mtn. Enticed by this tasty little peak and encouraged by the reasonable coverage low in the meadow, we neglected to look at the map and check directions to Green Mtn. and instead began laying track up the SE shoulder of the tiny peak that we later determined to be just barely 5,800 high (just SE of more prominent 5,988' peak). Windloading was obvious on east-facing aspects, and cold dry snow was getting deeper the further east we traversed on the shoulder. There was a crust 4-6" from ground everywhere, with fairly consistent surprisingly dry snow above. The pack in this area appeared to be supported by the meadow shrubbery it was compressing (light snow or air gap where bushes & branches lay between crust and ground). We experienced occasional settling underfoot, but mostly just compression of the deep dry snow As we gained the ridge, we got the map out and figured out where we were and saw Green off to the NE. S slopes of Green looked a little bony. We kicked some small cornice onto the steep slopes on the NE side of ridge, cornice broke free easily with clean shear, but did not trigger slope below.
We opted to ski the wind deposits skier's right side in a broad S facing gully. I started along the windbuff on top of the deposits, then cut into the loaded gully. We expected some of these windloaded areas to slide, either to crust or even to the poor ground anchoring, but had an easy escape route to minimal snow coverage on left side of gully. I took a first pass of only a few turns and ducked out left - only the very end of the pillow released with minimal results, entraining some snow which rolled downslope. Satisfied by the results of the first cut, we continued. It was deep and wonderful in that windloading, which we bounded through the rest of the way down.
For the next run, we decided to skin up where there was less snow to the W. An east wind had been building for a few hours, it was now ~2PM, and there was clearly some wind transport going on as we slogged back up. As we approached the top, east wind was blowing 15-20 and it was snowing. We decided to ski the deep snow of the SE shoulder we had first ascended and traversed in that direction. John led the charge, and as he skied over a SE facing roll I saw a slab release. It at first didn't look like much, but I yelled 'ski left' nonetheless. He couldn't hear me, but happened to ski left to a safe area and stopped while I watched the small slab trigger the slope below and continue rapidly 200yds downslope stripping a 50' swathe. This dry snow travelled quickly. John finally understood and turned around to his surprise, as he had skied out before he noticed the release. Crown was 30" max at center, tapering to nothing at nonexistant flanks, not more than 30ft across, with short bed surface. So the initial release was not large, but enough to convince the snowpack below to take a ride. I would guess the angle of the short slope at the release to be 30-35 deg, and the slope below 20 deg or slightly greater.
On my way down to John, I triggered a small shallow newly formed soft slab on a not very steep SW aspect. I believe the bed was at or just above the crust layer. East wind and snowfall continued to build.
We drove down at nightfall as treetops swayed and dropped bombs, and sheets of snow and rain hammered down. It was a great first day, with a gentle reminder to be cautious, and to turn a cold shoulder to deep wind deposits in times of shallow snowpack.
I have some pix but no website (and so can't post them?)
Skinning was possible from TH, although coverage in the trees was only a few inches. We followed a set of skin tracks and snowshoe tracks up the trail to 4,800', where we came across the skier and boarder we had been following. They were enjoying the open S.facing slopes directly above us, on the 5,800' peak about 1mi. SW of Green Mtn. Enticed by this tasty little peak and encouraged by the reasonable coverage low in the meadow, we neglected to look at the map and check directions to Green Mtn. and instead began laying track up the SE shoulder of the tiny peak that we later determined to be just barely 5,800 high (just SE of more prominent 5,988' peak). Windloading was obvious on east-facing aspects, and cold dry snow was getting deeper the further east we traversed on the shoulder. There was a crust 4-6" from ground everywhere, with fairly consistent surprisingly dry snow above. The pack in this area appeared to be supported by the meadow shrubbery it was compressing (light snow or air gap where bushes & branches lay between crust and ground). We experienced occasional settling underfoot, but mostly just compression of the deep dry snow As we gained the ridge, we got the map out and figured out where we were and saw Green off to the NE. S slopes of Green looked a little bony. We kicked some small cornice onto the steep slopes on the NE side of ridge, cornice broke free easily with clean shear, but did not trigger slope below.
We opted to ski the wind deposits skier's right side in a broad S facing gully. I started along the windbuff on top of the deposits, then cut into the loaded gully. We expected some of these windloaded areas to slide, either to crust or even to the poor ground anchoring, but had an easy escape route to minimal snow coverage on left side of gully. I took a first pass of only a few turns and ducked out left - only the very end of the pillow released with minimal results, entraining some snow which rolled downslope. Satisfied by the results of the first cut, we continued. It was deep and wonderful in that windloading, which we bounded through the rest of the way down.
For the next run, we decided to skin up where there was less snow to the W. An east wind had been building for a few hours, it was now ~2PM, and there was clearly some wind transport going on as we slogged back up. As we approached the top, east wind was blowing 15-20 and it was snowing. We decided to ski the deep snow of the SE shoulder we had first ascended and traversed in that direction. John led the charge, and as he skied over a SE facing roll I saw a slab release. It at first didn't look like much, but I yelled 'ski left' nonetheless. He couldn't hear me, but happened to ski left to a safe area and stopped while I watched the small slab trigger the slope below and continue rapidly 200yds downslope stripping a 50' swathe. This dry snow travelled quickly. John finally understood and turned around to his surprise, as he had skied out before he noticed the release. Crown was 30" max at center, tapering to nothing at nonexistant flanks, not more than 30ft across, with short bed surface. So the initial release was not large, but enough to convince the snowpack below to take a ride. I would guess the angle of the short slope at the release to be 30-35 deg, and the slope below 20 deg or slightly greater.
On my way down to John, I triggered a small shallow newly formed soft slab on a not very steep SW aspect. I believe the bed was at or just above the crust layer. East wind and snowfall continued to build.
We drove down at nightfall as treetops swayed and dropped bombs, and sheets of snow and rain hammered down. It was a great first day, with a gentle reminder to be cautious, and to turn a cold shoulder to deep wind deposits in times of shallow snowpack.
I have some pix but no website (and so can't post them?)
Reply to this TR
Please login first: