Rescue Creek

I enjoyed time with the Patrol Fund Level 2 class in the morning. In the afternoon, I took a short walk up Rescue Creek to catalog recent avalanche activity and assess the near-surface conditions.

• Many large avalanche paths ran earlier this week during the Atmospheric River event. I spotted 4 D3-sized slides that had hard slab characteristics. Debris is estimated to have run 2000 - 2500'+. Other paths produced D1.5 - 2 of mostly soft slab debris. The lighting was poor, and I could have missed a few slides.
• A handful of thin, soft slab crowns was observed in cross-loaded convexity features.
• The number and size of avalanches were about average for an avalanche cycle in this toilet bowl.
• This afternoon, the southwest wind kicked into gear, moving plenty of low-density surface snow and snow off tree branches. 
• 8 cm of champagne powder rests on a supportable 10 cm thick crust at 4000'. At 5000', 15 cm of cold smoke rests on a 5 cm breakable crust. 
• Large swaths of this drainage escaped the effects of the northeast winds.
• Good riding conditions today. Southwest winds may affect the snow quality in this open drainage by tomorrow.

 

Cracking was observed in soft wind slabs at low and mid-elevations. These did not propagate beyond the length of my skis.