I was up the Asulkan
Valley today and was
pleasantly surprised to find much improved skiing after the recent warmup.
Temps dropped overnight leaving 5-10cm. of new snow in the valley bottom that
quickly jumped into the 15-20cm. range as soon as we started to climb out of
the Mousetrap – once above the moraines the new snow deepened to 30-45cm.
that sat on old wind affected snow surface – lower down there was a thin
crust at this interface.
No new avalanches observed today and no results from ski
cutting – however this layer over the crust should be treated with
respect – especially now when it is newly loaded – it does shear on
it but in moderate angled and supported terrain it seems to be behaving itself
so far – stay alert on this one especially as it gets deeper.
Temps stayed cool all day and it was snowing 1 to 2 cm./hr
in showers throughout the day – with generally light winds where we were
today, stronger winds where happening at the alpine ridgecrests.
Skiing should remain good while temps stay cool –
however freezing levels look as though they will continue to fluctuate over the
next while so keep tabs on the forecast to decide what day will work the best.
Keep them slippery side down,
Cheers,
Scott Davis
Mountain Guide