Quick report
Traveling throughout the day we encountered varying snow conditions. At lower elevations on solar aspects, surface snow ranged from moist to wet. Areas that were protected from the sun remained dry into the afternoon. Above 11000', where winds were moderate, surface snow remained cold on all aspects. Additionally, winds have stripped much of the snow at high elevations leaving large pockets of wind-drifted snow on leeward aspects. Observed multiple avalanches on high elevation East facing terrain, and mid-elevation South facing terrain.
Weather
- Air Temp
- 39
- Cloud Cover
- clear
- Snow Avail For Transport
- small smounts
Clear skies through the entire day. Temperatures at the trailhead were 28F at 10:30. When we returned at 3:00 pm the temperatures had risen to 43F. At 1:00 pm around 10,000 feet air temp was 39F. Winds were moderate from the NW at 11,000' and light at 10,000'.
Snowpack
Dug two pits on opposing aspects at ~10'000 feet: On an easterly aspect, the HS measured 45 inches. We found the top 19 inches of snow was composed of varying rounded particles with water percolating into multiple layers of the snowpack. The remainder of the snowpack consisted of moist facet layers of varying hardness (See pit). Snowpit tests yielded an ECTP13 on the December drought layer (20 inches down).
Avalanche
- Size
- D1 R1
- Count
- 2
- Aspect
- E
- Trigger
- N
- Elevation
- 10200 ft