Date of Observation: 01/19/2022
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: North side of Snodgrass to Gothic, White Ridge to Queen Basin, Gothic Road back to Snodgrass TH. 9,400-12,400 feet, mostly N aspects.
Observed avalanche activity: No
Avalanches:
Weather: Clear & calm. Warm in the sun, cold in the shade.
Snowpack: Sometimes it is even worse than it looks! Pretty much side slipped down an entire north-facing couloir into Queen Basin on as-firm-as-it gets wind board. Threw one turn in near the bottom just to make sure I remembered how. Looked like a previous party had a fairly similar experience. Even the apron was wind-hammered, but the textured snow allowed for some choppy and punchy turns. Protected north-facing, BTL slopes are still holding soft, faceting snow. Anything with a southern tilt seems to be quite crusty. Fun times!