Quick report
- Aspect
- Northeast
- Red Flags
- Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 2682 m
- Slope Angle
- 30°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Poor snow structure, but the stability appears pretty good anyway.</p>
Noted no recent natural activity but obvious wind drifting on the east side of Providence Peak and in the southern bowls of upper Richard's Hollow off Red Pine Ridge. Still not much in the way of cornice build-up yet this year. The cornices in the pictured ridge-lines are usually huge by now. I found pretty good smooth and supportable, northwest style "powder" riding conditions.
My snowpit comments for all you snow geeks:
The first shear failure, at 30 cms below surface, certainly showed some potential and propensity for slab propagation, with a score of ECTP11 Q1 The next impressive failure occurred on large (4mm) facets near the bottom, but not at the bottom of my 30cmx30cm column; CTH21Q2. I could not isolate a column for ECT down to this faceted layer due to a knife-hard rime-crust from 12-23-2013.
Impressed that facets this deeply buried could still be so soft....
Snowpack
Floated high in new snow on sled and skis due to riming and a resultant stiffer layer within the new snow from 1-29-2014. Snow conditions are conditions are somewhat novel for Utah. The snow feels pasted in place, more like what you would normally find in a more maritime climate. You can ride just about anywhere you dare to, trail breaking is pretty easy, and turning conditions are smooth and fast.