Latest Conditions

[Rick Kent]

Anybody been up to the summit in the past week? I'm curious whether the snow is consolodated enough to not need snowshoes. Also ... anyone had a recent view of Snow Creek? I'm thinking conditions might be getting close to optimal.

-Rick

[Cy Kaicener]

On Snow Creek the snow goes down to 5000 feet. I heard that there was avalanche danger there.

[Rick Kent]

It's definitely avalanche territory ... one big funnel of death. Danger will decrease as the snowpack firms up however. Has there been more than a foot of new snow up there in the past 2 weeks?

[Cy Kaicener]

It looks like at least a foot of new snow. Someone posted a similar request for info on Summitpost about three weeks ago but no one replied.
Kurt Wedberg has done it in two days and said he would like to try it in one.

[magikwalt]

I think one of the keys is to find out whether the snow tongue has covered the chock block yet. I'll see if I can make a run over to Snow Creek and get some glass on it to determine the coverage.

[halhiker]

It's probably a bit early yet for Snow Creek. We still could get some more coverage if we get any storms in March. It didn't look like it was over the chock stone when I drove down that way last week.

I also have never encountered any avalanche problems in Snow Creek but I have seen evidence of a few small ones but nothing big. But if we had a big dump on top of some existing hard pack one never knows.

[Rick Kent]

Thanks guys.

[Perry]

solid ice at summit on monday. between miller saddle and summit. i got cell phone pics if anybody wants to post them... 7608082205 gotta run...

[Rick Kent]

Solid ice? hmmm. How was it below Miller saddle?

[Perry]

I was in a hurry when I wrote that yesterday. The solid ice on Monday was only at the last 100 feet or so near the summit, but it did change significantly at the Miller Saddle because above that is a slightly north-facing slope. Below was very slushy in the afternoon. If we get a cold spell, I'm positive that everything will be extremely icy, and Skyline would be impossible without crampons, smart to bring an ice axe. When it ices over that hard, even going to the peak can be a little tricky at the very summit and just below Miller Saddle where it's steep (icy in mornings usually not afternoons).