Public Observation

Observation Details

Observations

Encountered a wide variety of conditions on our tour up Mt. Morgan and descent down Grand Central. Leaving the car at 7:55 from Rock Creek Sno-Park, air temps were 15 degrees, and winds were calm. On the way up, we ran into almost every surface condition possible. Exposed, solar slopes had melt-freeze crusts, with some texture to them, while shady slopes held faceted snow, especially in shady areas. There were also areas of firm wind board and other wind surfaces. We skinned and then booted up the SE Face/Gully directly above Davis Lake, and ran into the same mixed bag of conditions, with a bit more wind affect. The upper part of the SE Gully was getting significant sun, yet despite this, and mostly light winds, was showing no signs of softening, even during the midday heat from 11 am-1 pm, probably due to its relatively shallow southerly tilt, and air temps, which were below freezing. At the summit, winds were light out of the East, but as soon as you stepped over the ridge to the west side, disappeard entirely. Overall the weather was excellent. The couloir itself was amazingly consistent-super firm, yet edgeable wind buff for all 3000 vertical feet. It was entirely in the shade during our descent, which came at around 3 pm. About 8 turns down low had a little bit more softness to them, and were magical, but the smoothness and consistency ultimately made the turns enjoyable still. Air temps at the car were 24 when we got back at 5 pm.

Signs of Unstable Snow