Eggnog chute

Checked out an area further inland from the pass which appeared to have better snow coverage than in a typical year. We skied a SE facing chute off the mountain SW of mount Racine. Cross loading was evident along all SE facing gullies, from the SW winds. Recent storm snow was wind affected on ridges and ribs, with variable surfaces including styrofoam wind slab, hard sastrugi, and rimed crust. The chute contained 30cm of powder overlaying old wind affected snow. No signs of instability were observed in the recent or old wind affect. A quick profile was dug mid chute and showed old buried wind affect bonding well to underlying layers. One member of the party who skied onto the wind loaded side of the gully reported hollow wind slab and retreated. The area has significantly more snow than normal, opening up some amazing terrain for skiing that would normally be shallow and rocky. The day was a beauty with mostly calm conditions, cold temperatures, and broken skies.