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

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.

lookers-left

Two were smaller in width and occurred with collapses

ridgewalk

after cornice kicking did nothing.

looker's-right

The third slide was quite a bit larger,

biggie

again, the result of a collapse.

wwillow-pano

Slides ran on the rain crust from December 28th, collapse failure on facets

blocks

which were both above and below the crust.

crown

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.

back

journal

© wowasatch.com