November 7, 2024

Early-season coverage in Sawtooth and White Cloud Mountains

Photos of early-season coverage in the Sawtooth and White Cloud Mountains. All photos taken on a very scrappy ski tour on November 7th, 2024. Snowpack was thin and variable. Many slopes lacked enough snow coverage for skiing and “good” weak layer development. In places with more snow, significant faceting was occurring throughout the snowpack. I experienced a few small collapses in recent, ridge-adjacent wind drifts, and one larger collapse that audibly rumbled out from my location for about one second. This larger collapse started roughly 200 feet down from a ridgeline and involved a larger drift of snow resting on weak snow underneath.

View across Fourth of July Creek drainage.

Variable snow coverage in Beaver Creek drainage.

Cabin Creek drainage.

Southeastern aspect of Decker Peak.

East/Southeastern aspect of Parks Peak.

West aspect of Blackmon Peak.

South/Southeastern aspect of Williams Peak.

Could be a little alpine ice skating to be done…

Looking across E Fk of the Salmon towards northerly and westerly aspects of Glassford, Kent, and Ryan.

-Ben VandenBos

CURRENT LOCATION: Central Idaho