Date of Observation: 12/09/2021
Name: Travis Colbert
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: I know Roman & Vandenbusche think ski-mo is silly, but I imagine a few of you might be wondering what conditions are like on Snodgrass after this most recent snow. After a near-miss (thanks ZK!) on the wall-to-wall D 0.1 (could bury a tea-cup Schnauzer but thankfully not an 80 pound Blue Heeler) on this morning’s dog walk, I decided to head on up to the newly constructed and hotly contested parking area at the base of Snodgrass Mountain. Both lots were freshly plowed and empty, so I took the first of many parallel parking spots closest to the start of the ascent. I found 6-7″ of fresh snow on what previously had been dry ground. It seems that much of the road had been dry prior to this storm, so ski pen was nearly to the ground for most of the climb. I diverged from the road at one point, but would not recommend as coverage in the forest is very thin. After establishing a little north side observation loop at the top of the road and stomping out a nice pad for ripping skins (got to work on those quick transitions if you want to be any good at ski-mo), I scooched back down the up-track for another lap. I didn’t make a single turn for fear of clipping a rock (especially on the lower third). Hopefully after tonight’s storm, coverage (on the road at least) will not be an issue. Have fun out there and be safe!
Observed avalanche activity: No