Red Lake Peak SW Shoulder Tour

Headed out to the Red Lake peak area for some exercise and to check out the conditions. Snowcover was thin but supportable in wind loaded and protected areas. Fine for some exercise and snow profile practice, but generally not worth it for the skiing itself. We skinned up the largest drainage that held snow in the area whcih we could find practicing our kick turns the way up. The chosen drainage had a S-SW (166°) aspect.

The upper section of the drainage held a 55 cm snowpack towards the middle-ish, that thnned out to zero on the sides pretty quickly. We dug a small snow profile pit suffecntly below the ridge finding a consistent P throughout the well bonded snowpack save for a smaller 4F layer near the surface. We isolated a 30x90 cm column and for an extended column test yeilding an ECTX (no reaction). The entire column held together as it was pulled out. Crystals appeared to be rounded and well bonded, though I don't have a microscpe (yet). My thermapen has now seen more snow profiles than turkeys.

The surface was slightly crusted by midday, but not breakable, making for some reasonable, if short turns. By 12:30 we were still not seeing the surface soften (despite the warm weather, I think the sun was too low and the wind too breezy for corn). We headed over to Havenly in the afternoon.

If you're in it for the downhill, I reccoemend the lifts.