Quick report
- Cracking
- specific
- Collapsing
- specific
Over the last two weeks in the Snakes, Salts, and Caribou ranges we've encountered widespread pockets of 12-18" deep rotten sugar snow and buried surface hoar in sheltered locations between 7000' and 9500'. Before the last big warmup -- 50* and sunny in the town of Alpine -- the sugar was present in sheltered, shady spots down to the valley floor but it seems to have gotten cooked and consolidated pretty thoroughly below 7000'. Cruising ridgelines between 8-9k' we've triggered some propogating collapses and one small slide (see photo). Since the latest storm we haven't seen any natural avalanches but it is definitely very reactive. SE faces are skiing great and seem a lot more stable than shadier slopes.