Quick report
Traveled into the Apgar Range to enjoy the new snow that we picked up the last few days. 5000' and up was the ticket today. Creamy, fast, and fun powder above that elevation and overcooked taters in the lowlands. • The 11 inches of recent snow seemed to be bonding exceedingly well to the old snow interface. At least at up to our high point of 6200'. Below 5800' the old snow interface was still wet. But above 5800' we observed a thin pencil hard crust capping the wet snow. You might expect less immediate bonding at higher elevations where a thicker more stout crust exist at the old snow interface. • Winds were strong enough to transport snow in early afternoon today, however with the moist/dense nature of the recent snowfall, active wind loading was minimal. We stomped around recently drifted features with no signs of instability in the fresh drifts. Ridgetop winds were moderate out of the west around noon, and had become mostly calm by 4pm when we departed ridge top. • Was surprised and delighted to find that there is still a snowpack at 3800' in this area. We made the most of it today. Access wasn't too shabby if your a bush hardened local. Otherwise you could say it was pretty shabby. No signs of instability observed today. Skier triggered pinwheels and wet point releases on steep slopes below 5000' would have been very likely, but my travels kept me on lower angle terrain at lower elevations.
Weather
- Cloud Cover
- overcast
- Wind Loading
- light
- Rain Elevation
- 3500
- Recent Snowfall
- 25
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
Warm, Cloudy, and Foggy on ridgetop. A trace amount of new snow fell during the day, briefly in the morning and briefly again in the late afternoon. Winds were strong enough to move snow in the early afternoon. However, wind loading was minimal below 6200' as the new snow is quite dense and moist. We didn't travel any higher than 6200'
Snowpack
Probed around to the measure HS and HN48 at multiple locations and elevations. Collected pit data at one site in the upper bowl. (*note: mid elevation by FAC specs, but most of the ridges and highpoints in the Apgars are below 6500') • 3800' no aspect: HS-55cm, HN48- moist 10cm • 4300' no aspect: HS-120cm, HN48- moist 15cm. Old snow interface wet • 5000' East: HS- 145cm, HN48- moist 30cm. Old snow interface wet • 5800' East: HS- 160cm, HN48- dry-moist 30cm. Old snow interface 2cm crust above wet • 6000' Southeast, HS-156cm, HN48- dry-moist 24cm. Old snow interface 4cm crust above wet (*pit site- more details in the attached graph)