It was a full on Winter blast of a storm today, with high winds, heavy snow fall, very difficult visibility issues, and free refills all day long. The Faithful were on deck today as well, but the big pressure was off as folks were out on the hill dealing with navigation in the wild conditions. I got my first look at the Peruvian side of the hill in quite some time and there were significant release zones, that were stripped to the ground by the wind, with significant debris below that needed to be given a lot of respect in the challenging visibility. There were some aspects that were tricky, and other aspects that offered floaty and consistent lines that let you get jiggy with the fresh accumulation.
Tomorrow, look for more accumulation on the hill overnight, continued difficult visibility and more wind smoothed lines. Be very cautious of the sections on the upper mountain where slides have released as there is little cover and will need respect. Much of the interference patterns and static issues are buried now, but there are still some terrain surprises with the wind work, so expect the unexpected. I will be looking far afield as I feel comfortable with approach traverses, where I avoided them prior to this cycle. Dress for continued storm riding. Keep it tight!!