Back to reality

I teamed with a Glacier Park Ranger to check on the Crown of the Continent conditions. With HIGH avalanche danger, a winter storm warning, and slick roads, we chose a shorter drive and a tour that kept us out of avalanche terrain. 

• Snowfall ranged from light to heavy throughout the day.
• Above 4000 feet, we found 18 - 24 inches of recent soft snow resting on settled powder. This snow became denser with elevation and became cohesive above 5500 feet. In sheltered locations the surface snow would crack from the weight of our skis but was too soft to propagate.
• We experienced calm conditions at lower elevations but moderate winds above 5000 feet where we found thick stiff wind affected snow in areas open to the wind. This snow frequently cracked and was cohesive enough to propagate
• Tree bombs were a hazard throughout the day. In the morning, the recent new storm snow overloaded large cedar and hemolck tree branches and unleashed. Mid-day winds produced numerous bombs while warming temperatures and rain initiated the final cycle which broke branches. What a mess!
• On the descent, we skied a treed southern aspect that was 2 feet of deep powder that got progressively heavier as we lost elevation. Below 4200 feet the snow surface was moist from above freezing temperatures. The final half-mile of skiing tested the waterproofing of our gear, as rain returned to the Flathead.
• Obscured skies limited visibility of surrounding terrain.