Quick report
This was a weather station repair mission with limited snowpack observations. Today was cool and breezy enough to minimize the wet avalanche concerns in the Soldier Mtns.
Glassing: Lots of natural wet avalanches from yesterday in the western Smokys, southern Sawtooths, Boulders, and Pioneers. Wet slab avalanches observed in the Boulders and Pioneers but not in the other ranges
The vast majority of the natural wet avalanches observed were likely on Monday. We did not see fresh avalanches from today. We rode on roads and traveled very little "off road" on foot, so cracking and collapsing is N/A for the most part.Weather
- Air Temp
- 30s to 40s (hotter down low in the afternoon)
- Cloud Cover
- few
- Wind Loading
- none
- Rain Elevation
- Recent rain event to above 9000'
- Recent Snowfall
- 0
- Snow Avail For Transport
- small smounts
Snowpack
Lower elevations: Shady's frozen all day, solars softening by 10:30AM, margins soft by 3 PM.
Middle elevations: Shady's frozen all day, solars and margins softening by 3 PM but never sloppy. Some small SH from last night in open areas above 8000'.
Upper elevations: Steeper solars softening a bit in the afternoon, but the southerly breeze kept it relatively cool up high. No wet loose concerns on Peak 2 today. The shady's and margins were both dry today, but the margins were crusty from yesterday. Some small SH in open areas (including the ridge).
Avalanche
All observed avalanches assumed to have released yesterday, Mon Jan 1/29. Five surficial D1 WL on SE in Smoky Dome alpine (see photo), otherwise very quiet in the Soldiers. Lots of natural D1-D2 WL on alpine W/SW-SW-S-SE in the head of the S Fork Boise drainage and southern Sawtooths, but no large slabs observed. Extensive wet cycle yesterday in the alpine reaches of the Boulders and Pioneers. See other observations for activity in the Boulders. Southern Pios: on solar aspects, I saw dozens of D1.5-D2 WL and what appeared to be some larger WS slides. Sorry, my camera did not pick up the activity well - no photos.