February 26
Location:
Started at the Alta guard station and ascended to Cardiff pass, descending from the skier’s right and continuing with a traverse over power line ridge into main Cardiff. The descent was continued out Cardiff to the road. We walked to Butler and ascended to the Mill A Butler junction and continued up Mill A to the summit of Raymond.
Descended
the north chute
to the flats.
Ascended to the east shoulder of Raymond glade and continued to the Raymond ridgeline. Descended northeast facing Paradise, east of the glade continuing the descent out Porter to the Millcreek road.
Weather:
It was partly cloudy to overcast. Winds were from the south gusting to perhaps 20mph on the ridges. Mild temperatures.
Snow:
Snow is old with the associated damage from wind and sun. There was some settled dry powder in Cardiff. Snow in Raymond area was for the most part creamy, with snowballs made from squeezing. Little evidence of active wind drifts. South facing probably had some potential during the mid day heating. Sluffing was within only the surface inch or two. Wind was moving minimal snow because of the increased density.
Bottom Line:
Snow is mostly stable and should remain so till substantial new snow is received. May be some fresh drifts at upper elevations but we saw no formation. Present surface condition would promote bonding of new snow.
February 28
Location:
Took the lifts at Alta to Pt. Supreme. Descended the Rocky Point headwall to the lake. Ascended to Catherine pass continuing up to the summit of Wolverine. Traversed a couple of hundred yards descending one of the north facing chutes into Wolverine cirque. Traversed and descended another chute just south of the Figure 8 hill. Ascended to Twin Lakes pass continuing around to the east bowl of Silver. Descended two pitches to the main gulley. Ascended to the top of the west bowl descending Oingo Boingo into Days Fork continuing out Days to Spruces campground.
Weather:
It was windy and overcast most of the day, with spits and sputters of mainly graupel above 9000 ft. and rain below. Moderate temperatures. Recorded at wind gust at 54mph with the pocket anemometer.
Snow:
The snow quality is dependent on elevation. Upper elevations were mostly crusted, with an inch or two of graupel overlying from today’s showers. Mid and lower elevations have a spongy or no crust dependent on elevation. Rain had made the spongy feel although it remained cool enough that rollers and wet activity in mid elevation terrain was limited. A little graupel pooling was noted below the rocks on the Oingo Boingo entry.
Bottom Line:
The snow was stable today. I’d expect future hazard to be limited to drifting within new snow layering and potential wet activity from saturation at lower elevations. Bonding of the new snow at old snow interface was good today with only limited surface sluffing (mostly graupel rolling).