Report from December 10, 2020

I went for a stroll in the Teton Range in Wyoming today.

After finding good powder yesterday, I thought I’d push it a bit steeper and see how that went.

I found great, spicy terrain but the snow was a bit tough.

It appears the wind had gotten into this zone and beat the snow up into a crunchy, punchy, and sometimes powdery mix.

The chute itself was gorgeous but it was tough to keep my tips from crossing in the grabby snow.

Maybe I’ll find something a bit less steep with a bit better snow in a new zone tomorrow?

I didn’t measure snow depths today but I assume it was similar to what I found yesterday:

The snow depth at 9,500′ was about 100cms – about 40″.

The snow depth at 6,300′ was about 25cms – about 10″.

I didn’t see any sign of avalanches or anything remarkable snow-wise today.

It’s thin out there, be careful.

The new snow coming this week might be just enough to cover up the rocks and stumps and make backcountry skiing and riding real sketchy.

After a week of clear skies and temperature inversions, a dry cold front has moved through the area. Temperatures at the higher elevations have dropped from the low 30’s into the upper teens. Three weeks of drought have created snow surfaces that include areas of crust, surface hoar and loose faceted snow. This snowpack is currently stable. Avalanches are unlikely. The last significant avalanche event occurred on November 19. Knowledge of the spacial distribution of potential weak layers and sliding surfaces on and in the existing snowpack will be essential for managing future avalanche hazards.”

– JHavalanche.org, 12/10/20