Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Wind Loading, Rapid Warming, Poor Snowpack Structure
A short field outing with a primary focus of comparing actual snow profile measurements to what is being observed by instrumentation. The strong winds over the past ~4 days have deteriorated conditions, with wind affect noted on most snow surfaces. I imagine lower-elevation terrain has less wind-affect, but warm temperatures have likely made a different kind of mess on the snow surface.
Wind drifts are now much more stubborn and less reactive than a day ago.
Photos:
- Snow profile showing almost no temperature gradient in the top meter of the snowpack (this is a good thing!)
- A cross-loaded slope
- Typical snow surface consisting of sastrugi
- A mature tree toppled by recent winds near the entrance to Grizzly Gulch
- Wet debris at the bottom of the Y and Y-Not Couloirs
- The dramatic outline of Superior.
Snowpack
Widespread wind damage on most aspects.