December 10

Solitude, Wills Hill, Dutches, Beartrap, West Desolation, Spruces.

Elevations, slope angles and aspects

7400-10k, angles over 35°, all aspects.

Snow conditions

I found a skiff to an inch of new snow at the trailhead.

That amount increased to about 6" at upper elevations late in the day. Snow amount decreased with elevation to around 2" at Spruces.

Snow was mostly small grained graupel early in the day changing to needles and srellars in the afternoon. Medium density.

Winds were loading lee aspects and scouring windward. Still soft and edgeable in the wind.

Drifting was most common near the ridges and small cornices fromed. Kicking would break those easily. Resulting fractures were not propagating and were less than 6" deep.

Avalanche Activity

The only observed crown was during a slight break in cloud cover early in the day.

raymond-shoulder

Pocket on Raymond shoulder running to the lower aspen grove.

Weather

Overcast with very poor visibility for much of the day. Snow showers all day. Winds were from the wnw, gusting over 30 mph along the ridges. Moderate temperatures.

Evaluation

Snow was mostly stable with wind drifting the observed instability, common on east facing upper elevations. Couldn't see West Monitor at all and the cone on Dutches was avoided.

I also avoided the bold line down West Desolation because pole probing in the starting zone was to the ground, in a snow pack of less than 3'. The slope was also crossloaded. I'd be very wary of slopes with those charcteristics.

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