It's 4 am. I'm sitting with my dogs, drinking coffee, and getting ready for yet another big day on the Mountain. Krista's note is great and very correct; we have had a wild few days with a VERY active avalanche cycle. 'Course that's what we can expect after almost 2 feet of new snow containing over 3 inches of water (3 times as dense as your typical "Utah powder"); all this preceded by days of sustained winds in the 40s gusting to 80s. The pictures Krista promised didn't turn out the best due to the late-day light, but if you look at this one closely you can see that what used to be snow all across the West Face is now dirt.

I have to get going to the Mountain now. It will be a very good day with over a foot of new (lighter) snow forecast for the next 12 hours....and less wind! This should help cover up the bare "bed surfaces" from yesterday's avalanches. If all goes as planned, we should get Jupiter open for the first time in 3 days and MAYBE even the East Face of Jupiter Peak. Hope to see you up there.

Add Your Own Comments