Quick report
- Collapsing
- isolated
2 collapses while skinning onto flatter terrain, one just below the Summit of Lone Tree at 7799' SE, the other at approximately 6800' SW.
Weather
- Air Temp
- 7
- Cloud Cover
- few
- Wind Loading
- none
- Recent Snowfall
- 22
- Snow Avail For Transport
- small smounts
Cold and clear. The Morning started with Light to Moderate North winds that almost calmed by noon.
Snowpack
ENE aspect, 7450': You were sinking in your boots, deep, almost to your waist...CT14SC on Buried Surface hoar 64cm down (2FT), ECTN 13 in the upper soft new snow layers, no propagation as the slab may just be too soft now. I did a PST on the buried surface hoar layer that failed during the last storm around Friday 1/12/24, as well as the November facet layer deeper near the ground both propagated with the buried surface hoar layer at PST29/100 end, and the NFL at PST 32/100 end.
SE aspect, 7578': You were only sinking in up to the top of your boots as the crust below was hard to saw through in the pit and supported your weight well. No results in stability tests.
On a south aspect
Avalanche
Multiple Natural Soft Slab avalanches, which likely ran sometime around Friday, were slightly masked by the latest snow from Sunday on the NW-NE aspect of Lone Tree below the ridgeline, and also Poison Bowl---Poison had a couple down lower in more sheltered terrain that faced North. SS N-R3-D2. Almost every avalanche witnessed had a crown depth indicative of the Buried Surface Hoar layer that is about 2 feet below the Surface. It looked like one little piece in Poison Bowl had stepped down deeper, likely into the November facet layer---3-4 feet.