Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Collapsing, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Talking with two other skiers heading in on the skin track as we exited, all standing still, about 8-10 feet from each other, we experienced a large collapse below all of us that everyone heard and felt. Could see that the other skiers were now at least a few inches lower. Benign terrain, less than 20 degree, so not scary.</p>
The snow was far less fun than the GE Hill skiing on Tuesday afternoon. This east-facing snow had a continual sound of a wet snowball being packed. Ski tips and tails hooked and released in unpredictable ways. The top 10 cm of fresh and perhaps the top portion of the wet base surface were compressing continually. Yesterday was good for laps. Today was one-and-done, as the fear of injury in the unpredictable snow was too much.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>The large loose grain segment that is about 40 cm down and runs 20 cm deep is concerning. </p>
About 10 cm of fresh on top at 8,950'. This was not damp. The remaining 125cm was all damp. Various strengths, but of note (east-facing pit, 30 degree, 8,950') was a huge wet loose grain segment from 95 cm to 75 cm. Also a few thinner layers of wet loose as the snow got deeper, with the final 25 cm being wet loose grains. ECT 23, failing on the highest wet loose (95cm to 75 cm). Didn't break with much energy. Boot penetration to mid-thigh, a wallow-fest out of the skis. Photo shows large loose wet grains from the bottom 25 cm.