Took snowmachines up the Little Gerstle river to the glacier on the north side of Mt Hadjukavich. Found extreme wind affect and icy conditions above 7500’ on Hadjukavich. Skied a southeast facing couloir on peak 8307 and found some decent snow and stable conditions. Overall good adventure but very thin snow conditions up high.  

Moonlight Basin. -2C, obscured sky, snowing lightly, light southeast wind. 10cm new snow and accumulating. We found localized drifting: 40cm soft slab over temperature crust, cracking in hollows and lee side of gully. Turned around due to decreasing motivation to ski variable surfaces, from exposed crust to stiffening wind drifts, in the ping pong ball.

Toured Cracked Ice with variable visibility that eventually broke in the late afternoon. 20cm of new snow skied consistent, heavier at the bottom. Above 5,000′ probed more than 3 meters. Around 4,000′ probed 185cm and could feel basal facets near ridge and rocks. Light NE wind higher up but not enough to effect snow at […]

Shallow crown observed on SE aspect ~3000 feet above Chilkat Lake. Likely triggered by point realest from above. Numerous point releases on all aspects above tree line in Transitional Zone. 

Catchers mitt up to saddle. Widespread surface hoar down low to 3 or 4mm. Smaller surface hoar up high 1-2 mm Bpen: 15 cm Wind: calm Sky partly cloudy Temp @ road = -11c Temp mid mt = -6.5c Pit on Lower apron (30 degree slope) compression test: CT 7 @ 15 cm (new snow) […]

  3/1- Crudbuster up to 4000’/ Clear/ Calm/ N-NW aspects No signs of instability were observed throughout the day, although poor structure near the bottom of the pack could be felt with a probe and pole probing.  Found  2-3 inches of new snow atop a melt freeze crust up to 2300’.  Above 2300’  dry snow existed […]

Toured up Nick’s Happy Valley and dug a pit at 4,700′ on the NE ridge between Python. A surface crust with 1-3mm surface hoar formed above 3,700′ and was observed up to 5,000′. The temperature gradient in the snowpack promoted rounding with a very hard slab over well developed facets. Test results were ECTX and […]

Cracked ice near surface conditions: Lower mt: cold Temps, widespread surface hoar 3mm, breakable rain crust buried 15cm. Crust dissapears 500-800 feet above road Mid mt: widespread surface hoar 3mm, rain. Burried crust absent, 15cm new snow.  Upper mt: Temp =  -11deg c, surface hoar transitions to rime coated with 1mm surface hoar and lies […]

2/28- Tiekel Trees up to 2900’/overcast/calm/light snow Shooting Cracks: No Collapsing: No Avalanches: No Found an inch of new snow atop a  breakable melt freeze crust with moist snow 1 foot below crust.  Melt freeze crust existed up to 2200’ with dry snow higher up.   At 2800’ north aspect found the 1/24 crust to […]

Skinned out with the UAF mountaineering class group of 11 to the Canwell Glacier Terminus via Miller Creek. Dug a pit on a slope of approximately 31 degrees and as we were digging heard a whumph. Continued our stratification tests and found powdery snow on top of a denser slab layer on another soft layer […]

35 mile 2280′ N-Aspect dug two pits to target the deep persistent slab and wind slab. Pit 1 was in a more protected area and had a total snow depth of 160cm with 35cm of 3mm depth hoar at the base and 3cm crust/facet combo down 70cm. Pit 2 was in a wind drift and […]

Toured up to Loveland summit and dug a pit on N-aspect at 5000′. Total snow depth was 270cm with a few distinct temperature crusts down 30cm, 70cm and 100cm. No significant test results except more planar shears with on the go hand pits down 30cm and at the deepest study pit interface down 100cm. At […]