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The skiing was FUN. The warm days and cold nights have resulted in a thick layer of facets capped by surface hoar, the result of "Diurnal Recrystallization" at most aspects above 6500 feet. The only exception are SE, S, and SW aspects. But the good news is that those aspects are fabulous corn below 7000 feet!
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Next, a picture taken from the easternmost ridge above Clear Creek. Deer Point can be seen in the center. As you can see, there is plenty of mellow terrain to lay tracks! For a topo map of the Clear Creek area to the SE of Bogus Basin Ski resort, please check the April 7th, 2008 posting on this blog,
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The next picture shows the "rocky" knob to the left in the above picture. The start of this run (notice the tracks) had some of the funnest and best recrystallized snow. To the left of my tracks, a snowmobile track, there were some in the area today.
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Another view of Clear Creek drainage with Shafer Butte (top of Bogus Basin) to the right.
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The surface hoar was widespread. If the surface hoar crystals are not destroyed by weather, the next snow deposition event very likely will result in widespread instability. Particularly when the surface hoar will be sandwiched with a slab above (new snow), an efficient shear plane (thin translucent melt freeze layer), and another layer of facets (near surface facets) immediately below the surface hoar.
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The next two pictures show the melt freeze layer below the surface facets.
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Below this thin "translucent"crust layer, there were two additional crust layers, with the 3rd and deepest crust undermined by 5 cm of advanced facets. This layer was present last Tuesday at Winter Corner (Mores Creek Summit Area) too, and it was located at the same depth of 25 cm. The snowpack depth at Clear creek has an average of 1.1 meters in depth, and besides the top 30 cm of crust and facets from West through East aspects the rest of the snowpack is solid with a uniform layer of round crystals.
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The above picture seems out of place, but there are many cool snags and Ponderosa trees at Clear Creek.
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Around 2:30 PM, the sun was at the PERFECT position to head over to the south side, to the slopes above Dry Creek drainage, and participate in the corn harvest. The snow cover was thin at places, but the corn was perfect. Below two pictures of the area I toured south of Deer Point.
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If you look carefully, you might be able to see my tracks in the second picture. Next time I will make sure I have a companion - so that I can get video clips. Pictures of ski tracks are not very compelling!
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I snapped the next picture, climbing back to Deer Point. Doe point is in the middle. A couple was skiing Doe Point today as I climbed out of my last ski run. Once more, the inversion is coming back to the Treasure Valley.
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Get OUT and explore new areas. The skiing is good, and the snow conditions are allowing for ambitious touring. A lot of ground can be cover very efficiently.
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Chago
