Quick report
The biggest observation of the day was a ski cut I did on an E aspect at 8000 ft. on a 38 degree slope. It triggered a loose wet avalanche that entrained the top 3-4 cm of snow for 50 yards before it stopped due to a shallower slope angle. This would have kept running if the slope was larger.
Due to the low snow coverage, I thought about turning around before ascending but curiousity got the best of me. Most of the skin up was on a NE aspect. Ambient air temperatures affected the snow making it stick to my skins when venturing off of the skin track. Southeast aspects rode well and heated up even without full sun. Some areas lower in elevation could be described as isothermic. Transitional snow on E aspects was sticky at times, produced roller balls and the small wet loose avalanches described earlier. True north aspects held "cold" snow but you could tell it was also feeling the warmth of the day.
I watched the storm come in from the top. The storm (potentially rain?) hit Pyramid peak around 11:30 and reached the top of Echo by 12:30. I could feel a few rain drops at the car as I was leavining. Open creeks and running water was heard and seen and heard below 8000 ft. Rocks that were once covered are now becoming 'sharky' as you can't see them but they near the surface. Another takeaway from the warmth and rain experience today is that we need a lot more snow before I ride this low of an elevation again.
Surface instabilities were observed with ski cuts on E aspects where there was transitional snow. The top 3 cm of snow released below my ski cut, entrained snow and did not stop until it hit the trees at the bottom. This could be more serious in bigger terrain.
Weather
- Air Temp
- Above Freezing
- Cloud Cover
- scattered
Temps were warm with a thin high cloud cover. The sun was trying to burn off the clouds for most of the day until the storm rolled in. Light WSW winds with Moderate gusts were felt on the ridge. The storm hit Pyramid around 11:30 and by the time I left the trailhead around1:00pm, I felt a few raindrops.
Snowpack
I dug a snow pit on a NE aspect at 8200 feet. The January 1st rain crust was 40 cm below the surface with rounding facets above the crust. This crust was softer than expected with 1F hardness. It seems to be rotting. There was no results on multiple CT's.