Cement Creek up to Crystal Peak

Avalanche problems in the recent storm snow are relegated to some recently drifted slopes and remain smaller in size.  The threat of a large avalanche breaking on basal weak layers is the more pressing hazard if you were to find a trigger point on slopes facing west through north through east at all elevations and possibly some high-elevation southerly slopes with less influence from last week's warm weather.  Surface hoar and facets are commonly found in the upper snowpack on the north half of the compass and simply need another loading event to form slabs and thus a new avalanche problem.  

We did not get much feedback given the ground covered but in one westerly-facing area around 10,500, we were able to get a handful of collapses on basal weak layers with shooting cracks. A few small avalanches on recently drifted slopes.

Recent snowfall totals ranged from 4 to 10 inches through out the Cement Creek corridor from trailhead to Crytal Peak.  In sheltered areas, there is not enough snow above the Groundhog facet/surface hoar interface to cause a slab avalanche problem but will if the incoming storm system delivers. 

Some recent wind drifting produced small, natural avalanches on leeward slopes.  Snowpack tests found that in drifted terrain at upper elevations, there are some places to trigger an avalanche in the upper snowpack (see profile image).  Basal weak layers continue to look poor and could result in a large human-triggered avalanche (see profile image) if a trigger point is found and remains the primary threat until more snow accumulates.  We experienced a handful of collapses below treeline on basal weak layers although not while snowmobiling through alpine basins around Hunter Hill and Crystal Peak.