Today's a great day to test the power of collective optimism. Monday's rain event left us with a crusty surface all around the mountains, including in the ravines and on backcountry ski trails outside of avalanche terrain. What we need to bring it back to life is more snow. Without any major weather makers in sight, we're left hoping to squeeze as much moisture out of the upslope flow as possible. Since the rain subsided, the summit has received 1.9" (4.8cm) of new snow accompanied by strong W winds. This snow is starting to get a foothold in the upper reaches of the ravines where we're seeing the visible crust slowly disappearing. Lower on the mountain conditions are still just dust on crust. More light snow showers are expected today, although less than an inch of accumulation is anticipated. For my part, I'll be envisioning The Little Engine that Could pulling moisture up the Cog track, and bringing extra snow for the winter enthusiasts in the Cutler River Drainage. You can be optimistic in your own way. The more snow we get, the sooner the crust will be a distant memory. On a more serious note, the 1.9" of snow has begun to be deposited throughout many areas of the ravines. This is creating slab conditions of variable thickness; these slabs should be reactive as they have remained cold and haven't had much of an opportunity to dissipate any energy. In addition to the reactive nature of the slabs, remember they are sitting on top of a rain crust, which tends to make for a good sliding surface. This combination of factors leads me to believe that human triggered avalanche activity is a possibility. As I mentioned earlier, there is old surface visible in some locations. Traveling on this surface will help you avoid potentially unstable slabs, while treading into deeper new snow will put you into the slabs we're concerned with today. Depending on the size and depth of the new slab you're traveling through and the terrain you're in, consequences of triggering a slide may be significant, especially considering the hard crusty bed surface. Keep this in mind when you're deciding where to travel.

In addition to avalanches, there are other hazards to be on the alert for today. CLIMBERS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR ICE DAMS. Monday was a classic set up for ice dams-a warm rainy day followed by a quick freeze. A large volume of water is trying to work its way downhill, especially through the gullies of Huntington. When it meets an obstruction (i.e. the ice you want to climb) it has nowhere to go and will build pressure behind the ice. Climbers have the potential to release this pressure with the swing of an axe or kick of a crampon. Be cautious if you are out climbing today. This hazard diminishes with time, but today is only the second day since the rain so the potential for ice dams still exists.

Trails around the mountain are going to be very slick and icy until we get more snow. Historically, this has contributed to a number of accidents, particularly sliding falls with crampons on. Crampons are great tools for helping you get around the mountains in these conditions. However, they don't work very well to help you stop a sliding fall; instead they tend to stop only your foot while the rest of your body continues to slide. Quick self-arrest with your ice axe is how I'd recommended you stop a fall. As always, crampons, an ice axe, and solid self arrest skills are needed for travel in steep terrain. This includes the Lion Head Winter Route. The Sherburne Ski Trail is in icy condition. It will be survival skiing there until new snow is able to cover up the ice.