Red Coon, Mt Emmons.

At 11,000ft in Red Coon Glades, the mid-pack drought layer, consisting of thick crusts on southerly aspects, was down about ~90CM. A quick test profile on a SE slope at this location produced an ECTN on a mid-storm instability. On top of the crust, there were small, lightly faceted grains that formed during the middle of last week.  We did not experience collapsing or cracking on sunny slopes, but I couldn't rule out a triggered avalanche on steep, sheltered terrain on the south side of the compass.

Signs of instability popped up on shadier aspects near treeline, although they were not easy to produce in low-angled terrain holding the entire season's snowpack.  Once we walked near steep, shallow terrain, we produced a couple of Persistent Slab avalanches around 3 feet thick.  It's hard to imagine riding one of these slopes without triggering an avalanche. 

 

 

We observed a quiet snowpack while ascending Red Coon Glades. We targeted a couple of suspect slopes in Red Coon Bowl, and with some targeted effort, we produced two avalanches. We received minor collapses before those avalanches released.

In sheltered areas, settled snow depths ranged from 70cm near the trailhead to nearly 100cm at 11,500 feet.  The slab remains mostly fist hard with a small amount of 4-finger hard snow at the base of the slab.  Issues in the storm snow linger about halfway down in the slab and could produce a triggered avalanche.  A thin layer of lightly faceted grains exists below the recent slab above a crust; although this layer didn't produce a result in tests, an avalanche there couldn't be ruled out.  It certainly appeared less likely than the very weak snow you find at this interface on the north half of the compass.  

The few shady slopes we probed at and traveled above clearly have an ugly, Persistent Slab structure.  I suspect triggered avalanches will remain an issue well into the foreseeable future.