Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Wind Loading, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Noticed boarder triggered avalanche on SE aspect of Mount Raymond.</p>
Covered some ground today to get a better sense of snowpack on Mount Raymond and Gobblers zones. Raymond Glade, SE aspect of Raymond shoulder, up Gobblers Knob summit ridge with Cabin Run exit. General snowpack structure shows evidence of stability, but am finding mid-pack facets as well as weak snow down near the ground. Currently the snowpack has seemed to adjust to recent loading, but avalanches earlier this week on Gobblers Knob (Davis Gulch and Toot to Boot) that failed on persistent weak layers are indicators these weaknesses may become reactive again with additional loading.
The top 15 cms (6") of the existing snow surface contains very light stellars as well as DF's and am thinking this will initially be the weakest layer with additional storm snow and wind-loading.
Photo showing mid-pack faceted layer.
Ran into a group of boarders coming from Butler Fork and they were the apparent triggers of a slide we later saw on SE aspect on Mount Raymond. Unsure if this was a wind or storm slab.
Lower exits on Gobblers are still not prime time.
Moderate hazard today (but would not have skied several lines where there is a poor snowpack structure) and easily Considerable on Sunday with expected storm totals and wind.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Were finding pockets of sensitive shallow wind drifts that are sitting on top of low-density stellars from Friday, as well as decomposing fragments (DFs) from Monday's storm. Not enough loading today for this to be a widespread problem, but Saturday night/Sunday am storm system looks windy.</p> <p>Am finding a layer of mid-pack faceted snow down ~70 cms (28") in Porter Fork. Storm snow from the past two weeks goes from F down to 4F hard, but all tests have been ECTN or ECTX (not propagation.) With enough of a load (storm snow and/or wind), am thinking this layer of mid-pack facets may become reactive at some point.</p>
Friday storm did not favor Millcreek with ~10 cms (3-5").
Still, a decent snowpack developing with the following snowpack depths (HS)
9500' NW aspect Mount Raymond 1.5 meters
9800' SE aspect Mount Raymond 90 cms
9800' NW aspect Gobblers Knob 130 cms
Winds have scoured the upper west face of Gobblers creating the usual thin spots. We were finding wind-affected snow halfway down west-facing Cabin Run.