Only a few areas with supportable hollow sounding snow, but it was in low angle terrain.
Observation: Turnagain
Location: Tincan
Tincan to Common Bowl
Observer Comments
Weather
Temps: Single digits (F)
Wind: Calm
Sky: Sunny, no cloud cover
Precip: None
Snow surface
1000' - 1500': 3" low density snow on hard crust. Skin track is hardpack with icy patches.
1500- 2000' - 4" low density snow on hard crust
2000' - 3400' Variable surface conditions, Pockets of 4-6" new snow on firm base, pockets of firm wind hardened snow, scoured areas with sastrugi and anti tracks visible.
Snowpack
Moderate Westerly winds from the last three days have left many ridges scoured with Sastrugi and anti-tracks, above 2000'. Many gullies and steep rollovers looked cross loaded, especially on Seattle Ridge. There were also areas with pockets of low density powder below ridgelines that did not have much wind affect (good skiing!) We did not venture onto Northern or Eastern aspects at higher elevations where there's more potential for wind slabs. There were a few places where winds left stiff pockets of wind hardened hollow sounding snow, but they were on low angle terrain. Overall stability seemed pretty good in Common Bowl and there were a handful of tracks in Hippy Bowl.
View of the ridge leading up to Common Bowl. Surface conditions were variable, but skiing was better than expected.
View of Hippy Bowl. Wind erosion "Sastrugi" is visible along most ridge features, but good powder skiing can be found.
Getting from the parking area to the skin track is very icy. The addition of a hand line is helpful.