Quick report
- Red Flags
- Poor Snowpack Structure
Headed to Soldier Peak from Mill D North, I haven't been in that terrain or to the Millcreek Ridgeline yet this season. As expected the N facing shady slopes dropping into Millcreek had a thin and extremely week snowpack, looked into Soldier Fork and Big Water. The S facing was mostly dirt before this last storm but places such as the Wilson Chutes, Wilson Glade, Soldier, and Big water all have old faceted snow underlying the new. Still not enough weight or a slab to get things moving yet but with more snow and wind in the forecast I would expect that to change. Dug a quick pit in the N facing trees above Dog Lake and found about 2 feet of snow with large grain facets at the ground then a fragile and decomposing
crust with more facets on top then the new light density.
photos: some cracking and stress fractures from yesterday's storm, a look at Wilson NE facing and the snow pit.
The hazard was low today in the terrain traveled but with more snow and wind in the forecast. I would expect the hazard to increase
Snowpack
The storm total in the terrain covered, Mill D North, and upper Butler Fork was around 10 inches of light density, the due S got a little damp during the period of sun today but not enough to have much of a crust in the am.