Get it while you can

With access to Lake McDonald Lodge a no-go for the 2021-22 winter season, we milked another day in the Crown of the Continent, checking this morning's forecast accuracy.

• We found fresh wind slabs up to 8 inches thick on upper-elevation northwest and easterly aspects. Shooting cracks were observed from the weight of a skier on easterlies, and we were able to get small slabs to move with a bit of force.
• A light breeze kept snow on northwest aspects at upper-elevations dry through 4:00, but we did not feel this breeze on southerlies where the snow was moist.  The snow on the mid-elevation slopes we traveled was also moist.
• Sky conditions were generally overcast, but we were on an upper-elevation southerly slope when the sun appeared for a minute or two. This brief solar input produced tree bombs and sizable rollerballs in the recent snow.
• During the descent, rollerballs were easy to initiate on steep slopes. The snow became sticky and not a lot of fun as we lost elevation.