[cascadeclimber]

There is a spot in the boulders that, even during cold, snowy periods, just never seems to have snow on it. Today the freezing level was at about 1000 feet and the ground was frozen hard 1500+ feet below the top but, as usual, in that one spot there was no snow and the rocks were damp. It does get wind and the area around it was windblown, but had snow in nooks and crannies. This spot...none. Melted. I'm going with secret alien observation post, like the "Duck Blind" in the Star Trek TNG episode "Who Watches the Watchers?"

[Awkray-ven]

Maybe there's some geothermal stuff keeping that spot warm? Sounds like somewhere I'd like to set up camp.

[Just_Some_Hiker]

I was up there today and didn't notice it. I did notice you hauling ass on your way up to the summit, though. I'll be consciously looking out for this duck blind now.

[BdCast]

I should head up there with my thermal camera and investigate

[Awkray-ven]

Let's dig a hole, maybe we can make our own hotspring.

[Kim Brown]

I bet it's WTA's hidden office bunker, where they keep all their volunteers who come out at night and over-build all the trails around there.

[Just_Some_Hiker]

[Pyrites]

We only come out at night. We subsist entirely on spilled Goldfish crackers.

[cascadeclimber]

[NorthBen]

Here's my guess: some talus slopes exhibit a 'chimney effect' where warm/cold air flows through the talus. In the winter, you'd see warm air rising out of the slope in one area (like your snow-free spot) and cold air being drawn in elsewhere. In the summer, this process reverses. I just read a good article about the pika population in the Columbia Gorge and it hinged on this topic. https://gorgescienceshare.wordpress.com/. Here's a diagram from that article

[Brushbuffalo]

[Jake Robinson]

I noticed this today. Deep snow in the boulder field with a bootpack/trench, and then...bare and wet rocks for a few feet. Pretty strange.

[kbatku]

There is a hole in the rocks on the eastern hill in the Selah Gap (between Yakima & Selah) that breathes warm, humid, dank smelling air - it's a pretty stiff breeze coming out. In the winter it steams, most of the time you would never notice it. My theory here is that there is an aquifer deep down somewhere that emerges into a cave, and the air trapped in the water is released and finds its way out through a crack and eventually to the surface through this one tiny hole. That's just the idle speculation talking, and it probably has nothing to do with this - but what the hell.

[BigBrunyon]

I'm thinking it's a bear den! Body heat from up to 3-4 large bears heating it up! Maybe even grizz since its north of 90!!!

[MesiJezi]