Quick report
Traveled to an upper elevations near Swan Lake to verify problems and danger ratings:
- Found no obvious signs of instability
- 4-16 inches of snow above the Equinox crust/interface
- Surface snow was moist below 5500 feet with some dry spots above - glopping was a factor but manageable
- Alternating sun and snow kept the snow surface in flux throughout the day
- Winds were calm to light with no blowing snow
- Cornice had grown from recent SW wind but otherwise could not find evidence of wind-stiffened surfaces
- Could not produce cracks or avalanches on wind-exposed test slopes
- A pit at 7300' N aspect revealed a strong snowpack that did not propagate in column tests
Snow skied surprisingly fast. Kicked off some rollerballs below 6000' and got a bit sticky below 5500'.
Media to follow
Kicked off some rollerballs below 6000'. No other obvious signs of instability.Weather
- Cloud Cover
- broken
- Wind Loading
- none
- Recent Snowfall
- 10
- Snow Avail For Transport
- small smounts
Many levels of cloud. Some passing breaks allowed enough sun to shed snow from the trees. Light snow (S-1) throughout the day with a convective shower (S1) at 1:00pm. Graupel at 3:30pm. Winds calm, gusting to light.
Snowpack
Pit at 7300' N aspect: HS = 240,CTN, ECTN27 down 40 cm on Equinox interface, 2/3 crust down 110 cm, hard ice layer down 150 cm.
Avalanche
Noticed some recent small loose dry on steep and rocky NE aspect at 6800'