Happy NEW YEAR!

Welcome to 2021

Not much has changed over the past week. A quick shot of snow on Christmas brought us 3 inches of mid-density snow which drastically improved sliding conditions. We saw some wind associated with that storm but besides that not much to write home about for the holiday week. The stiff slab sitting on weaking facets from early November and

the weakest being the NSF (Near Surface Facets) that formed after the Thanksgiving shot of snow is starting the break down as our whole snowpack continues to facet. Remember the key here is a shallow cold snowpack is going to facet. Our current danger is at MODERATE. This means that human triggered avalanches are possible. Even though the likelihood of triggering an avalanche is decreasing, the consequence of getting caught in this avalanche has not decreased. Triggering and getting caught in an avalanche currently could be fatal. You would be drug over rocks and through many trees and bushes on your ride causing injury or death.

In other news……. The access at our favorite trailheads has improved. You can now access five-star Ogden Backcountry Bush skiing at all of your favorite local trailheads. With that being said please be courteous of our friends at Ogden Nordic and the great work they do maintaining the classic and skate tracks. On the up and down please stay out of the classic track and if you feel so obliged, drop Ogden Nordic a donation to help them maintain that pristine backcountry groomer on the exit.

Possible change in weather into the first week of the new year. …………. MAYBE? We will see what the first week of 2021 will bring. As a good friend the other day said “if I say 1-3 inches, I really mean 1” possible!” What we really need is water. I would love to see how our snowpack reacts to a 2-3” SWE load. This would create an entertaining avalanche cycle and really start to test our snowpack.

I apologize for terrible grammar. "kory"