Huntington Ravine

We toured into Huntington Ravine to check for new wind slabs and assess recent wind and snowfall impacts.

Summit observations recorded light snow showers beginning around 0800 on Feb 14 and continuing through the day into the early morning hours of Feb 15. Blowing snow was reported each hour on Feb 14. Winds were predominantly WNW 40–50 mph through much of the period, then ramped up sharply overnight/early this morning with a brief period of very strong winds (roughly 80–90 mph with gusts near 100 mph) before tapering rapidly later this morning. Total new snow from this period was about 1 inch at the summit. We were particularly interested in whether this light new snow, combined with the wind spike, transported available soft snow from the west side of the mountain and built new slabs in the eastern ravines.

We found a mixed bag of snow surfaces. In some areas, the surface consisted of older hard slabs, formed during the Feb 10–11 wind/snow event. New snow was present but unevenly distributed, ranging from wind-scoured surfaces to a few inches, with pockets up to roughly 6–8 inches (and possibly deeper in isolated areas higher in the fan). The gullies themselves did not appear to hold much of this new snow; strong winds scoured the upper gullies.

Where the new snow was deeper, it appeared uniform and generally well bonded to the underlying surface. We did not observe cracking, shooting fractures, or other signs of instability. Multiple skiers were observed on the new snow without producing notable results.

Due to limited slab depth, we did not perform formal stability tests; however, quick hand shears and general handling suggested good bonding between the new snow and the old surface.

From the approach we could see the Summer Lion Head Traverse, which appeared clean and smooth with new snow cover. A previously visible “fossilized” icy crown line from an older event re-exposed by north winds about a week ago, now appears buried, and the traverse looks more uniform again.

We did not find new wind slabs in Huntington Ravine that were large enough, or reactive enough, to raise concern today. Even with a brief overnight wind spike, our tour did not show evidence of widespread or significant new wind slab development. New snow was thin and unevenly distributed, and where it had collected it appeared generally well bonded.