Persistent Slabs
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 2
It may be getting harder to trigger an avalanche that breaks to old snow near the ground, but our snow stability tests consistently indicate a low probability/high consequence setup. What concerns me is we're not seeing or experiencing obvious signs of unstable snow like cracking, collapsing, or recent avalanche activity, and the snow is starting to feel bomber. In fact, getting around is relatively easy on a go-anywhere base. And while this may all suggest green light, get after it travel, we gotta realize we're riding on a structurally unsound foundation of rather weak, early season snow. So, while the snowpack feels solid under our skis, board, or sled I'm still treating it as guilty until proven otherwise. In fact, all we need to do is find a shady character in a dark alley... like a shallow spot around a bush or rock where we can punch through the slab, irritate the weak layer and collapse the slope, and now the entire roof is crashing down on us.
Persistent slab's are tricky and aren't manageable with a ski or side-hill slope cuts. Instead, avoidance is the go-to tool.
JC and I stomped around Campbell Hollow Wednesday and found an intriguing snowpack... weak, faceted snow near the ground is still the main player.
