Quick report
- Cracking
- specific
- Collapsing
- specific
We kept our plans flexible to adapt to changing conditions:
- Found 4 inches of overnight snow in Swan Lake and moderate to heavy snowfall
- Increasing avalanche danger and deteriorating road conditions persuaded us to opt for a less committing plan
- Unfortunately, that plan involved considerably more brush, which limited our ascent to 5000'
- We found 12 inches of low-density snow above the 12/22 crust
- This slab cracked and collapsed readily on a layer of weak snow resting atop the crust
- We retreated back to the road where we tested cut banks with the snow machines
- Cut banks produced shooting cracks up to 100 feet long on the same weak layer
Despite recent low-elevation snowfall. there are many exposed (or just barely concealed) hazards.
Skier triggered cracks/collapses up to 20' on heavily vegetated low elevation slow. Snowmobile triggered cracks up to 100' on road side cut banks.Weather
- Air Temp
- 15
- Cloud Cover
- obscured
- Wind Loading
- none
- Recent Snowfall
- 10-15
- Snow Avail For Transport
- large amounts
Snow S-1 with some S1. Graupel at times. Wind calm.
Snowpack
30 cm soft slab resting on facets (2-4mm) above 12/22 crust.