Cold and windy on Becker Ridge

It was skinning with a puffy on conditions at Becker Ridge this morning. Car thermometer read 10 degrees F upond departure. There was just enough new snow to skin from the SnoPark. Although wind transport was obvious on the drive up Echo from the plume of white snow being pushed west visible off the top of Flagpole Peak, the wind was calm in the trees at the SnoPark. 

After skinning about 15 minutes and nearing more of a ridge feature, wind increased and snow quickly started to be blown off trees and once on the ridge whole trees swayed in the strong east wind. On the ridge heading to Becker there was moderate to intense wind transport of new snow. The variation was due to the presence of trees slowing down the wind. Distant views of more alpine locations showed consistent and impressive views of wind transported snow being blown high into the sky. 

Photo 1: Only 1-2 cms of new snow in protected clearing.

Photo 2: In wind loaded areas more snow was present. In loaded areas depth ranged from 5-20 cms of new snow, but the areas with these deeper amounts were quite small (perhaps 10 x 5 feet). 

Photo 3: In very small wind loaded areas, some drifts were showing signs of cohesion. 

Photo 4: Impressive wind transported snow on Stevens and Red Lake Peak in the distance.  Views looking in Desolation showed similar transport. 

Photo 5: Overview of ridge conditions (from R to L): scoured surfaced on bottom right, then some new snow showing signs of erosion, then wind deposited snow. 

Photo 6: Sastrugi nerd alert: small pinecone suspended on a sastrugi spear, with another example behind. Makes sense that the pinecone is stronger than the soft snow around so it resists being eroded by the wind and becomes suspended as the soft snow all around is blown away.