Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Wind Loading, Poor Snowpack Structure
Covered good ground today and saw a variety of snow and riding conditions. The wind sure has had its way and took care of any snow leftover of last week’s small storm. No obvious signs of instability were noted other than recent avalanches that occurred early last week. We still avoided specific terrain features that showed signs of wind-loading like cross-loaded gullies and thing rocky slopes at upper elevations.
Sun was out and the weather was pleasant. But of course what is the Uintas without a soft touch of wind. Although light, winds out of the west southwest were moving and blowing snow at points throughout the day loading slopes on the east half of the compass. A surprising amount of snow was being moved by very light winds.
Although we are due for a reset, good skiing and riding conditions existed in sheltered terrain out of the wind zone and hazard. Sometimes just being in the mountains on a beautiful day is enough.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Our main concern is wind-drifted snow that developed with the storm last weekend and continues to do so after. Recent avalanches that occurred since the storm were found on wind-loaded slopes steeper than 35 degrees with an easterly component above 9500’. These avalanches failed between 6”-12” deep below the snow-surface, some hundreds of feet wide. The most recent avalanche associated with this problem noted was two days ago along the Duchene ridge and chances of triggering one seemed unlikely,</p>