Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Cracking, Collapsing, Poor Snowpack Structure
Afternoon tour in Grizzly Gulch; up the ridge separating Microwave and GG. Sensitive cornice were observed with fresh debris on leeward aspects from collapsing cornice (photo 1). I toured in the area on Monday and these were not present. The exposed slopes that were wind affected became hard and cracked like lightning (photo 2). The repeater on the main skin track at the beginning is filled in again and smooth looking.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Sensitive soft and hard slab wind drifted snow. Wind was constantly moderate with strong gusts from the Southwest on ridgeline. Snow was swirling in the flats, while wind exposed slopes created hard slab wind drifts. Cornice were very sensitive and a few had collapsed, before I got there, on the ridgeline of microwave and grizzly gulch.</p> <p>The poor structure is still present. Rounding grains seem to be the culprit in our deep persistent slab reoccurrence, and I still don't trust them.</p>