January 22
A triple play
Ski Conditions: Very good
Location:
Started at the trailhead in Alpine and ascended Box Elder following the trail, then cutting off to ascend
the run out of the northwest facing slide path.
Continued up the north ridge to near the summit descending the northeast face to the flats
several thousand vertical below.
Marla
Near the bottom.
Ascended the east facing to Deer Creek pass, traversing over and taking the earlier trail to the top of the north chutes,
descending skier’s right to the flats.
white room
Marla again.
One more.
Followed the same route to near the summit descending the northwest face to the flats
and reversing the up track to the parking area.
Weather:
It was a bluebird with cool temperatures. Some mid elevation clouds passed through during the day. Convection from heating?
Snow:
There was about a foot of snow overlying old bed surfaces and wind crusts on the shady aspects, with less at lower elevations. Snow is well settled and has started to recrystalize. A bit of sluffing occurred on steep slopes with a cut. These were not long running and did not propagate. I noticed a little wet activity on southerly aspects in the afternoon, confined to point release sluffing within new snow and not widespread.
Bottom Line:
Snow is mostly stable. Concerns would be from wet activity with heating and an increased sluff potential
as the surface snow weakens