Quick report
- Aspect
- Northwest
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Wind Loading, Rapid Warming
- Elevation
- 3018 m
- Slope Angle
- 18°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Wet loose trundling and small roller balls Greenhouse effect for part of the morning </p>
Two of the melt freeze crusts are pictured below from two different slopes same aspect NE. In areas that the wind hadn't already moved snow a beautiful mixture of graupel, dendrites and newly formed surface hoar blanked the surface (see picture with pole). Cornices are still huge with this warming keep a safe distance. The weather was all sorts of funky today. Other than being quite picturesque, the quick clouds and variable temps and winds were a great way to stay in touch with the present. Each of the ski shots taken were one hour a part (truly demonstrates the filtered light and changing skies)
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>We ski cut a couple wind slabs with no results. But the wind affected and loaded terrain does exist on several aspects as the winds continue to shift.</p> <p>17 cm down on 2 CTs and 2 ECTs we got a faceted weak layer to collapse and propagate. Both CTs were Q2 as well as one of the ECTs all at 12 taps. One ECT was a Q3 at 13 taps also 17 cm down. This was at the top of Dougs Drop WNW in Silverfork just under 10,000 ft. We preceeded to ski cut the convexity in the slope with no results and then 4 of us skied the slope triggering no avalanches.</p>
The best snow right now is sheltered NE at high elevations. Out of the 5 runs I skied today I crossed other tracks more than I did crust layers on the snow surface. The good snow is still out there as are people. Always look up if you need to traverse under a slope. Don't stop under steep slopes because someone may be waiting to drop or ski cut above.