General Observations

Went down to the Range on Sunday, Dec 6th. We were expecting thin snow with a hard crust after the week of strong wind and warm temps we just endured. From the road, it was clear that most alpine and exposed areas were blown clear of snow and that it was going to be tough to link any significant amount of turns together. We opted to skin up towards the Devils Thumb. The trail up was still manageable but will need more traffic and light pruning to really be prime. *Warning to those with dogs*: A trapper is utilizing the bottom portion of the trail and has traps and snares set just feet from the trail.

Surprisingly, the snow in the trees was soft and wonderful, about 1 -1.5 meters deep, with no signs of crust or wind effect. We climbed up to just above treeline and there we found exposed rocks, thin snow (0-15cm), and wind scoured slabs. There didn’t seem to be any ice or melt-freeze crust from the warm weather though. We ripped skins and dove back into the trees where we were greeted with soft buttery slashes in a playful woodland. Given the thin snowpack so far this year and abysmal weather of the last few weeks, we deemed our small tour a success! 

No signs of instability in the lower elevation areas we skied. 

The Devils Thumb area has so much potential for us here in the Eastern Alaska Range. It is relatively low angle and close to the road. No need to put your skins back on to make it back to the car! The trees routinely hold and protect the snow so good skiing can be had even after our regular strong wind events. More traffic is needed to keep the lower portions of the trail clear though.