Today Mike Mariash and I climbed the South Face of the Swiss Peaks, then skied down the North Face and out the Hermit Glacier.

There was no freeze at the highway at 3am this morning, which made for pleasant travel up to the campground. Above this we had a few cm’s of new snow on top of a hard melt freeze crust up to the Swiss Glacier, then an increasing amount of new snow up to around 40cm near the summit. On the South Face this new snow (mostly still dry and unconsolidated) was overlying multiple sun crusts, and we wouldn’t have wanted to be on any steep solar slopes as it warmed up later in the morning. On the north side there was a similar amount of new snow which was right side up and no windslabs were observed, making for amazing skiing with not too much sluffing. Below the Hermit Glacier we had perfect corn skiing down to 1350m, then consolidated wet snow (ie. not punchy) covered with pine needles down to the first railway crossing, which we just managed to ski to without taking off our skis. Below this travel deteriorated. There is more snow at low elevations than the past couple of years.

No new avalanches observed today, not even from a small serac fall on the North Face of Mt Rogers.

No ski crampons, boot crampons, or ice axe needed today.

If you’re heading into this area, please make sure you’re familiar with the new access/egress this year so you’re not walking on or crossing the railway tracks and jeopardizing access in the future.

Enjoy the spring skiing!