Whumpfing, blowing snow, and unstable snowpit test results on Silver Peak.

We toured into Silver Peak today with a route plan that kept us out of avalanche terrain with maximum slope angles of 30 degrees on all NW-N-NE-E aspects traveled in order to manage today's persistent slab and wind slab avalanche problems. In one location on our ascent route where we need to ascend a short 32 degree pitch we did so on a SE aspect that was both void of the persistent slab problem's weak layers and was not wind loaded, thus avoiding the avalanche problems.

Breaking trail on the entirety of our ascent route we triggered around a dozen whumpfs on sub 30 degree N-NE-E aspect slopes both below treeline and near treeline. Along our approach we stopped off to dig a mid elevation snowpit on a NNW aspect at 7,260'. We had unstable test results at both the old/new snow interface and deeper in the snowpack on the Dec 11 PWL.

As our ridgetop ascent route moved into near treeline terrain we could see substantial drifting snow still ongoing at 1:15 pm. Wind speeds began to decrease as the afternoon progressed with decreased drifting snow. Wind slabs in this wind loaded area were dense and stiff. We largely steered clear of them as the density suggested that you would need to comit to being fully out on the slab to trigger it.

We were able to descend on slopes 30 degrees or less, avoiding terrain traps and runout zones from nearby avalanche paths.