Cement Creek

Snowpack depth averaged around 100-120cm (3-4 feet). Given the relatively shallow snowpack, we found a pretty quiet snowpack. We experienced a few big collapses on a variety of aspects, usually when we grouped up. Far fewer collapses than a week ago. We saw one very large avalanche off Italian Mountain, and numerous small to large ones from the MLK cycle. Two avalanches looked like they ran after January 18th-19th

The slab formed in mid-January varies greatly by elevation and through the wind-features terrain. The presence or absence of an intact slab is driving the danger in this area -- the weak snow below is a given. In lower Cement Creek (<9,000'), the snowpack remains very shallow, 60-80cm deep, and consistently weak. In Middle Cement (9-10,000') the snowpack is 80-100cm deep. Here we found areas where the snowpack was barely supportive to a snowmobile and many places where our sleds would trench deeply. Once we got beyond Waterfall Creek Trail (~10,000-') the snowpack became generally supportive, plunging through the snowpack only in isolated scoured spots, usually next to wind drifts or tree fences. We measured up to 150cm of settled snow in spots but averaged around 120cm until we got into more wind-affected terrain at the head of the valley. Above 11,400' we found a less-predictable patchwork of mostly supportive snow with much weaker wind-scoured areas. We traveled comfortably under some big paths that ran in mid-December, and traveled with caution, one at a time, through the lower runouts of some paths that still held slabs in the start zones. 11,800 was our high point with the very flat light