Quick report
- Aspect
- Northeast
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 2804 m
- Slope Angle
- 27°
Snow pit comments: I was searching for a shallower snow pack area that may have weakened during the cold spell. But was pleasantly surprised by the lack of test results. (no results for 2 ECTs and a CT) Still, no real strong slab in this spot, with most of the snowpack 4 finger or weaker. Getting off my skis, I sunk in mid thigh.
I also did a few shovel tap tests, looking for any weaknesses with in the newer snow, but didn't find any.
Photos below:
Upper - wind eroding snow near the summit.
Lower - further down the ridge - quite sensitive, "medium" slab, about 6 to 10" thick, easily cracking out 15 feet, with little force. "Medium" dense is still not the stuff you'd want to try to ski cut, dense enough to grab you or likely to break above you.
With the new snow coming in warmer and denser than the snow we had earlier this week, accompanied by wind, I'm thinking it may initially bond poorly to the low density snow on the surface in places, and shallow new snow soft slabs and sluffs by be possible to trigger out of the wind affected terrain.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Once into the wind zone, winds were eroding and transporting snow before your eyes. Seemed to be mostly loading along the ridge lines, but also lower into the bowl in some spots. Drifts from today and earlier this week will be hidden beneath tonight's snow. Newest drifts up high seemed to be hard slabs. Down a few hundred feet vertical, found cracky "medium hard" slabs.</p> <p> </p> <p>More comments and photos below.</p>
Still excellent turning in wind sheltered areas.