The Pyramid

Toured to 9,500’ and looked at the upper portion of the snowpack on a variety of aspects. A surface crust, which formed yesterday, was present on solar aspects up to 9,000’. This crust was absent above 9K.

Preformed multiple hasty pits/hand shears from 8,500-9,500. On sheltered solar slopes (E-S-W), 12-14” of settled snow exists above a stout crust buried on 3/21. Soft slabs failed at a hardness change about 3-4” above the crust in all hand shear tests except one. The block in that test was isolated in a wind drifted area and failed on the 3/21 crust with moderate pressure (Q2).

The snow since 3/21 possesses a different character on north facing slopes. In sheltered areas, there was very little in the way of a slab. Dry loose sluffing was observed on steeper terrain features. We did not find any wind slabs in the north facing terrain that we traveled through. However, any wind slabs out there may still be sensitive to humans given the small facets observed above a thin crust. We noted several old storm slabs (6-8” deep) that released in steep, north facing terrain on Thursday (3/28).

Overall, conditions appear to be stabilizing given the lack of cracking or human triggered avalanches which were widespread two days ago. Despite this, slick crusts combined with some weaker snow could delay the stabilizing process longer than usual for this time of year. Storm slabs may develop tomorrow afternoon if the forecasted snow totals verify, and avalanches could break deeper in places where wind slabs formed on Thursday (3/28) haven’t fully stabilized.

We observed several old storm slabs that failed on 3/28. No recent signs of instability other than dry loose sluffing in steep north facing terrain.