Powderhouse

I toured Powderhouse Peak yesterday and today. The conditions were very similar both days. There was deep and heavy powder snow from the previous storm plus 4-6 inches of new snow from last night today. Skinning up, it was extremely hard work off the main track, which was icy in places yesterday but tackier today. The slope has seen a lot of wind with waves of snow deposited everywhere. At the top, there was strong evidence of wind deposits from the SW (see picture). My descent yesterday on 85mm skis was very difficult. Even on the steepest slopes of about 35 degrees, it was difficult not to get stuck in the snow. On 95mm skis today, the descent was better but the snow is still very heavy and takes considerable effort to ski. On slope angles below about 25 degrees, it was difficult to keep it going except in the track. I dug a snowpit near the base of the mountain, and the snow seemed rather stable despite some variability among the layers.