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My motto for mountain travel when it comes to #skiing is “tools for efficiency; not inefficiency for tools” and I don’t ski the west face of Near Point even when the snowpack is at its thickest due to variably thin coverage in general. I also have a no walking/booting in skintracks rule, and encourage others to follow it. But when the snowpack consists of 2-4” of pure facets capped with surface hoar, I do feel it’s the exception to this rule. Thus, it’s still #hiking season in the FRange IMO. While the risk of #avalanche may be lower due to thin coverage in some areas, the risk of injury from ground hazards (rocks and vegetation) that are only superficially covered is high. It would be a shame to get injured before the #ski season begins in earnest. We’re going to have to watch this base when more snow comes, as it is setting up to create persistent instabilities in the form of classic Western #Chugach depth hoar and basal facets. On the bright side, some wind buff has fortified the upper elevation snowpack and the base (in terms of depth and coverage) is much better than it has been in recent years at this point in the season. PLEASE go #VOTE for #LOVE, #PEACE, and a livable planet for future generations today! #FRangeLove

A post shared by Anchorage Avalanche Center (@anchorage_avalanche_center) on Nov 6, 2018 at 10:33am PST