Quick report
- Cracking
- widespread
Stormy day! We moved through near treeline terrain in Swift Creek and the S side of Artist Point. Signs of instability (mostly shooting cracks) increased through the day with accumulating snow. We found the Christmas Eve crust from the surface to 80 cm deep depending on wind effect. Where I broke out the shovel, there was about 10 cm of low density snow overlying the crust, with a denser slab above. I dug quick pits in two locations to look at the crust. On a cross loaded SW aspect @ 5,000 ft, column tests resulted in ECTP 5 and ECTP 7 down 30 cm. The columns broke on low density snow 10 cm above the crust. A pit on a wind loaded N aspect at the same elevation resulted in an ECTP 16 down 70 cm. This also broke about 10 cm above the crust.
Avalanche
We saw the crown of one (likely) human triggered wind slab near 5 minute trees on our way out, around 1:30 pm.