La Nina is our favorite child here in the Pacific Northwest. She brings colder temps to pair up with our copious amounts of precipitation which equals powder and rarely formed ice climbs, if you can get to them! Last week in particular we were clobbered shutting down I-90 for three days. This closure altered my plans to hit my favorite avy "safe" stashes and head for the lifts further south. I was not disappointed, the cold temps had produced light powder that felt more like Colorado fluff than Cascade concrete. As I write this, more wind and snow have closed the passes again. I hope our little Nina gives us a short break soon so the backcountry can stabilize.
Winter it is never long enough!
Sterling