Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Rapid Warming, Poor Snowpack Structure
We observed some old avalanches from last week.
Dog Dish- east facing 9,600'
White Baldy- northeast facing Glacier Bowl 10,800'
Red Baldy- northeast 10,600'
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>The primary problem we observed today was wind drifted snow on the higher ridgelines. We avoided slopes that were actively wind loading.</p> <p>Photo of wind drifted snow above East Pass</p> <p>We talked about the PWL and observed rapid warming in lower elevation terrain. We observed roller balls in the Birthday Chutes, Tri-Chutes and Long John Silver (photo below) up to 10,600'. We also saw a wet avalanche/roller ball something or other on northeast facing Rainbow Ridge around 9,000' that most likely occurred on Tuesday March 3. </p>
Very little powder snow. We found softer snow in protected north-east facing terrain, but mostly saw melt-freeze crust with surface hoar and near surface facets on the surface on the ascent and very damp snow surface on the descent. Above 10,00' we saw a mixed surface of melt-freeze and wind crust.
Photo of snow drifting on the highest ridgelines
Photo of surface hoar before it melted
Photo of stout melt-freeze crust still in the freeze stage, 9,200' taken in the AM