January 20
I started at the lower Solitude parking area and walked up Willow. Rumor was the Canyons patrol would bomb McDonalds.
No craters in Short and Sweet so, I skied Will's hill.
Walked up the west willow ridge with the same intention. Never made it to the top because I got sidetracked by slides.
Skied out Willow to Silver Fork lodge.
Elevations, slope angles and aspects
7600-10300', angles over 35°, all aspects.
Snow conditions
2" of fresh above a rain crust
at the trail head. New snow amount remained about the same, rain crust was less above 9k.
Storm total was eight inches or so after settlement.
Ski penetration varied from a coupla inches to over a foot in the sheltered and shady. Boot penetration was to the ground in sheltered.
Ski conditions remain a little punchy.
Occasional collapsing, both at the old snow surface and into old snow layering.
Weather
Overcast skies with a bit of clearing, at times. Moderate temperatures. Wind was from the west, light at lower elevations, increasing with elevation gain.
Avalanche activity
Three slides were initiated into Willow Fork from the west willow ridge, result of collapses.
Two were smaller in width and occurred with collapses
after cornice kicking did nothing.
The third slide was quite a bit larger,
again, the result of a collapse.
Slides ran on the rain crust from December 28th, collapse failure on facets
which were both above and below the crust.
Skiing the bed surface revealed occasional gouging into lower layering in places but, most of the deeper weak layering remains
Evaluation
Dense snow combined with strong wind is overloading the weak old snow.
Weather guessers suggest a continuation of the storm through the weekend.
Hopefully there will be enough to allow safe skiing when it's over.
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