Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Not ready to give up on the persistent slab yet. The slab is definitely faceting, but it is still there in the places I dug the last three or four days. It seems "dead" or almost dead anyway, but I'm still getting full propogation in extended columns. Will be interesting to see how reactive it becomes if we get a new load. </p> <p>Plenty of wind loading around, but I couldn't get anything to move more than a few inches deep. Few small natural cornice falls triggered very small (2-3" deep x 20-30' wide) wind slabs. A few cornices I kicked rolled harmlessly down the slope. Ski cut on a wind drift in the starting zone of a 37 degree slope produced no results and no cracking, slab supported my weight but didn't extend far down the slope.</p>
Pics show wind damage on PC ridge above Corn Bowl, Small (Keg sized) cornices kicked with no result and two very small naturals triggered by cornice fall, the one in the foreground obviously older than the one in the distance. SE facing slopes approx 9600'
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Small, shallow wind slabs and sensitive associated cornices.</p> <p>It's still lurking, although less and less reactive each day. Did get an ECTP 26 Sudden Collapse on a 22 degree ESE facing slope at 8900' slab was 60 cm thick and facets failed about 20 cm above the ground. Temp Gradient was 12.5 degrees/1 meter in this location showing the rapid faceting of the slab.</p>
Variety of snow affected surfaces out there, but sheltered, low angle skiing was good