Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Cracking, Rapid Warming, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>With the first steps into the backcountry today it was clear that we would find instability and create avalanches. Wise terrain choices were the only option for backcountry travel today. </p>
Travel was up Flagstaff and east along the Emma Ridge. We stayed well left and west of the normal route today as we found spooky hollow slabs on all SE leaward aspects. My good ole patrollers feet kept sending me left away from punchy slabs on steep slopes. Once we gained the Emma Ridge it was hard to stay far enough away from the NE aspects not to trigger 1'-2' slabs into Days Fork. After triggering the second slide into Days east of Two Dogs we decided to call it quits due to very poor visibilty and increasing hazard. In these conditions its just not possible to ensure that there arent other parties below you. Best to pull the plug and retreat.
After choosing to descend the most gentle route down the subridge of Emma 1, I unintentinally triggered a D2 SS that nearly took me for a nasty ride. It was on a sublte terrain feature that was holding yesterday's storm snow instability and was now reloaded with a stiff slab. The slide travelled 1000' vertical stopping at the last transition above the summer road. It failed at a density change 2cm above yesterday's old snow surface.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Todays strong SW then NW wind created dense but stubborn wind drifts on all aspects. 1st photo is of wind transport along the Emma Ridge into Days Fork. This sensitive but tricky slab sits on top of yesterdays new snow that had an initial weakness about 2cm above the old surface. That new snow instability settled out yesterday but became active again with today's new load. Cracking and failure was found on most all slopes above 35 degreees. </p>
The new snow was getting blown into dense drifts on all leeward aspects. Todays dense snow began to pile up by mid day and was being deposited onto yesterdays lower density storm. Very slabby and upside down. Difficult trailbreaking. All leeward aspects now have a dense slab on top of lower density snow with a mixed bag of layers below. While the structure is complicated in most areas, the current status is simple. Lots of new snow and wind have created unstable conditions on all steep slopes. Avalanches are expected.