Professional Observation

Observation Details

Signs of Unstable Snow

Key Points

Toured to the top of Mount Morrison via Morrison Col, skiing down the East Face and then connecting to a stashed vehicle at McGee Creek today, starting at 0515 from Convict to get a jump on the warm day.

Better than expected refreeze overnight with light SW winds kept surfaces cool and frozen from 7400′ to 10900′, all aspects being frozen, ski pen 0 cm unless on the sun-sculpted fins where ski pen was 1cm. Above 10900′(at 0800) E facing slopes were beginning to soften, and more northerly aspects still were comprised of 1F hard FCs and boot pen was between 5 and 10cm.

Descended from 12300′ on E aspect at 0915 and wouldn’t have wanted to be much later. Not generally one for trip report style obs, but Morrison E Face probably only has another 7-10 days mx before melting out around 11000′.

Ski quality remained good, transitioning to SE and S aspects at 1045, finding diminishing quality and deeper ski pen by 8500′ and below.