Valdez Ski Report – January 27, 2015

I took my advise from the previous report and headed up Gulley One direct finding fantastic powder skiing down the gut on some of the dryest snow on earth.,  Tracked a thin crust layer though lower elevation but it gave way to 10-12″ fresh dry 1F snow, slightly recrystallized on top for quiet skinning and skiing.  Didn’t to any pit work and as it was too good to stop.

Bigger news is weather.  As the ridge of high pressure in the Yukon retrogrades south over the next few days, lows will quickly fill and bring us a decent shot of snow all the way to sea level.  Models indicate up to 12″ or more as a 3-day storm ramps up beginning Thursday afternoon.  Temps will for increase rapidly at all elevations, thus a CONSIDERABLE avalanche hazard is warranted beginning Friday morning for mainly sluffs and some slab activity at higher elevations and all aspect.