Skyline Ridge

Our party for the Instructor Clinic for the 2015 Seattle Backcountry Snowshoeing Skills course was split in two groups. One group ascended to mid-mountain for ice axe skills review (self belay, self arrest). The other group spent the morning low, reviewing the Avy Beacon curriculum, then headed up to the lake to check on conditions for next weekend's field trip.

Most of the snowpack from the parking lot all the way up to the lake is 1' - 2' deep, hard and crusty. Vegetation is sticking through everywhere, and dirt is clearly visible along the road cut. The road surface is hard-packed slick snow, and the parking lot was all ice. The lake is mushy, with open water flowing out the drainages. People traveling near the lake should be alert for hidden water hazards under foot.