Quick report
- Red Flags
- Heavy Snowfall, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>We saw no sign of significant recent avalanches (limited visibility and desire to expose ourselves, though). No collapsing observed, cracking only within 40cm of our skis</p>
We stayed in low angle protected terrain and found great riding and challenging but not horrific trail breaking. Small test slopes were unreactive. Hasty pits showed easy failure in the new storm snow with no tendency to propagate. Observed very little natural activity (our visibility and filed of view was very limited). Visual indications were that hazard level was moderate, but seeing the weak deeper layers and the rapid transport with the slightest wind left us with no desire to get into steeper and more wind-affected terrain. Additional wind will be a game-changer.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Hasty hand pits showed easy failure in storm snow ~ 30 -40 cm deep Q2. Strong swirling wind and graupel around 4pm was changing the snow around us quickly.</p>
Similar to other descriptions - 110 to 140 cm deep, weak facets under very thin/fragile crust under storm snow. No slab formation and riding & trail breaking mostly took place on the denser snow from yesterday(?)