Corbin - Barnes/Elliot Ridge

<p>While in Corbin today we travelled both south and north facing slopes in search of the surface hoar layer that was so touchy over the weekend in the lizard range and flathead. We started on south facing slopes where the sun and warm temperatures were warming the top 5-7cm and making it moist, and creating roller balls on steep slopes. We found the surface hoar on this south aspects down 25cm. This layer was less reactive and smaller crystal size (2mm) than what we found on the north facing slopes where the surface hoar was up to 6mm, 25cm deep and still standing. We also found wind affected snow lee of a treeline ridge feature where we were getting shooting cracks as we toured up. While the persistant weak layer (surface hoar layer) is less touchy than it was on the weekend additional snow and wind in the forecast will add load and develop a more consolidated slab over this weak layer. On the south we had resistant test results CTM (14) RP down 25cm on this layer and on the north aspect the test results were sudden CTM (11) SP down 25cm. Pictured is the shovel burp test results on this same layer.</p>

Terrain Ridden

Mellow slopes.

Terrain Avoided

Steep slopes, Open trees.

Avalanche Conditions

Rapid temperature rise to near zero degrees or wet surface snow.

Whumpfing or drum-like sounds or shooting cracks.

Snow Conditions

Heavy, Wind affected, Powder.

Weather Conditions

Warm.