Island Alpine Guides AST 1 Mount Washington

Riding quality was:

OK

Snow conditions were:

• Crusty
• Hard
• Wind affected

We rode:

• Mellow slopes
• Open trees
• Sunny slopes

We stayed away from:

• Alpine slopes
• Convex slopes
• Cut blocks
• Steep slopes

The day was:

• Sunny
• Warm

Avalanche conditions

• Rapid temperature rise to near or above 0°C or wet surface snow.

Travel was limited to south-southwest slopes and simple terrain below and at tree line. Isolated exposure to northwest slopes. No alpine travel.

Cool, clear morning became a warm and sunny afternoon. Light to nil. winds all day. Temperatures rapidly rose above 0*C by noon. In the afternoon on southwest to southeast aspects, crusty/hard snow became slushy with some pinwheeling of undisturbed snow observed. Crusty snow observed on northwest slopes at treeline.

Simplified snow pit on small northwest slope at treeline showed several melt freeze crusts. Observed a 5-10 cm facet layer down approx. 30 cm between melt freeze crusts. No fracture observed from compression test.

Island Alpine Guides operates courses and trips on private land adjacent to Mount Washington Alpine Resort under an agreement with Mosaic Forest Management.