Quick report
- Cracking
- isolated
We started up to the bowl this morning as the snow was still coming down. By the time we reached the rescue cache, the snow had stopped and winds were calm. Our group skinned up along the rocks left of Left Gully, triggering a small, intentional slab on a test slope. We decided to dig a pit on the NE aspect at 4500’. We found 24 cm of F to 4F snow on the surface. This sat on a weak interface on top of 40 cm of 4F - 1F snow on top of the persistent weak layer discussed in the forecast. An ECTN14 showed compressive failure on the top layer. While prying the column out, it slid easily along the persistent layer 64 cm down. We conducted a CT after to further identify the problem layers and had a similar result (CT12) on the same, upper layer. After cleaning the compressed snow off, two more taps (CT14) caused the column to pop 64 cm down on the persistent weak layer. A PST on this layer showed propagation halfway through the isolated block. While none of our tests on the surface showed significant propagation potential, the results from other tests singling out the persistent weak layer and the release of the test slope on the way up suggested a significant hazard. Winds were picking up throughout our time in the bowl. By noon, there was snow blowing round the ravine, but we could not see up to the ridgeline.