January 29

Area:
Ben Lommond

Elevations, slope angles and aspects:
5300’-9700’, angles to 40°, easterly aspects.

Avalanche activity observed:
Nope.

Slopes skied:
Traversed around Cutler creek on the up eventually connecting to Cutler ridge. Ben Lommond from the summit down Cutler ridge heading north eventually dropping into lower Dark Canyon out to the trailhead.

Snow surface and conditions:

Deep surface hoar and near surface faceting from the trailhead to the 8000’ area.

Some photos.

Dead flowers

Corn flakes and feathers

Feathers

Fern leaves

Bouquet

A forest of feathers

Above that the snow is wind pack and boilerplate. Imagine that?
There is 12” to near 36’ total snow with the most in the 8’000’ sheltered. Snow is almost unsupportable in the low snow areas but upper elevations are very supportable on the wind crusts. No collapsing. Sking is variable from hard crusts to dust on crust to some settled old snow.

Weather:
Bluebird down low, with a cloud deck coming and going along the upper ride during the day. Moderate temperatures. Winds from the west at around 15 mph or less mostly above 8’000’.

Evaluation:
Stable snow. Total pack is weak and will not support a load at mid and lower elevations. Surface hoar was found all the way to the summit , with a scattering above the hard crusts, even at upper elevations. Sliders on hard crusts would be the main hazard on the steep upper elevation east facing.

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