Quick report
Western side of Angle mountain touring from 8700 to 9900' Our goal was to assess avalanche hazards of the pwl and wind slab. We intended to reach the top of kankles but opted to stay lower and assess snowpack. On an Ssw aspect, We discovered a dense layer of snow, possibly a wind slab, 25 cm below the surface that was reactive, HSL And HSM, CT12. Snowpack is upside down with facets under an ice crust at 63cm. This layer was largely unreactive but showed propagation in 1 of 6 ECTs. As the temps increased through the day, the surface showed cohesion and slab formation on solar aspects but was not present in trees and more shaded aspects. Wind transport was evident on southern exposed ridgelines. The general takeaway is that we have a persistent slab present with another 25cm deep layer that could prove to be increasing hazards as new snow arrives Friday.
Weather
- Air Temp
- 22-37 deg F at 8700'
- Cloud Cover
- overcast
- Wind Loading
- moderate
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
Snowpack
1/6 ECT tests on a similar aspect showed ECTP29; all others showed no propagation. Layer 25cm deep showed moderate strength/resistant planar.