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backcountry conditions report
By ccrossen | February 3, 2012
Brief backcountry conditions report. Had a chance to get in a nice tour yesterday, in the 7,000-9,000′ zone, all aspects. It’s variable, with every condition you can imagine. The quick shot of snow we had mid-week really did a lot to improve the skiing, however, (amazing what an inch or two can do, esp. this season, and low angle, smooth terrain is skiing great. You can find pockets of good powder up high as well, but be aware that you may encounter any of the following while touring/skiing that powder: ice, boilerplate, styrofoam, corn, breakable, bulletproof, sugar, etc. South facing is getting soft, esp. when the east wind isn’t hammering it. No surprise: due North aspects up higher are the best bet, and actually skiing quite well. Be aware that smaller slabs exist and will slide easily. We encountered a lot of frozen avy debris and frozen bed surface, which is quite dangerous on the steeps. Hard to tell it’s there until your edge let’s you know.
But great touring weather, and the temps are keeping the snow really nice. Get out there.
Topics: Skiing, Tahoe Snow Report |