October 17
Once again, a storm for early in the week, has been forecast. Snow amounts remain questionable.
Never the less another look at conditions was in order.
Hoar frost was found in the shade, all the way to snow line.
Mineral fork is designated motorized.
Looks sketch, best to document on the vid.
Mode of travel could also be described as sketch, learned much later in the day.
From the east pass, a look at snow cover in Mill B South.
Room of Doom
Upper Mineral fork in the afternoon.
Snow conditions:
6-20" aspect and elevation dependent. Snow line is around 8500' in the shade. Radiation cooling produced a good refreeze and this continued. Sun melted snow quickly formed a crust with shade re-entry. Potential instability from a lack of bonding or collapse failure into weak layering with significant new snow.
Ski conditions:
Best described as challenging with crust, breakable and non, a theme for the day. Some early corn was ecountered on ascent, unfortunately old and slow meant...
It is possible to ski to the flat, where the mine road begins zig zagging up Santiago run out.
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