Quick report
We were able to get some cracking in a W facing cornice by stomping on it
Weather
- Air Temp
- 25-30
- Cloud Cover
- scattered
- Wind Loading
- light
- Rain Elevation
- 4800
- Recent Snowfall
- 30
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
Broken weather. A mix of sun, fog and cloud cover / 0 precip.
Snowpack
We found 2 to 6 inches of snow where we parked the truck on Snow Creek Road. As we ascended on snowmobiles, the snow coverage quickly increased. At Ruby Pass (5400 feet), we found 38 inches of snow on the ground and a solid snowpack. The snowpack is mostly stable, with stability tests showing moderate to hard results. Essentially, we found soft snow from the recent storm sitting on top of firmer, older snow. There are a couple of rain crusts within the pack, but these were stubborn to fail.
Although the snowpack is still shallow, we found the conditions fairly easy to travel in. We took extra care, as there are still many hidden obstacles beneath the snow. We didn't observe any avalanches and felt that triggering one was unlikely. However, we intentionally stayed away from isolated, wind-loaded areas on steep slopes to mitigate any potential danger.
** I anticipate the avalanche danger to increase this week as the approaching storm shows up. Stay safe!