Marion - Repeater Ridge

Today we traveled into the Marion Drainage to assess for recent avalanche activity, investigate the surface conditions, look for the depth of any free water in the snowpack, and have a peek at the JDL. 

• Widespread avalanche activity in surrounding terrain on shaded aspects. Very challenging to accurately date with all of the recent weather and warming, but 3 or so crowns plus some additional hefty debris looked to be recent, as well as plenty of recent loose avalanches.
  • Some of these crowns were at least 4-5' feet deep. Two were very wide.
  • Some of these gouged, and at least some of the debris looked dirty and wet. 
  • Some debris off a subridge running east from Cameahwait was very deep, significant, and quite recent. Tried as we did to find a significant crown above, we were flummoxed as to what the source was. We saw a few small crowns high above, but surmised we must have been missing the real source. We estimated the debris pile to be that of a D3 avalanche. 
• On shaded aspects at our high point just over 7000', there was a breakable crust capping 10 cm of soft and dry recent snow from Tuesday. Below that, the snowpack was very wet up until the 3/9 interface, where water was pooling.
  • The JDL was still visible, angular, and bouncy. Though a bit of moisture had apparently made it down to the layer, it wasn't as significant as we had hoped/imagined, was generally refrozen, and we remarked that it still looked every bit like a layer that could propagate a fracture. 
• Warming in the start zones was quite limited today. 
  • The corn was not fully ripe between 6000-7000' on southerly slopes. It was getting there, and quite skiable, but still pretty firm. The corn from 6000' to 5000' feet was sweet and delightful. Firm and supportable crust below the surface everywhere we traveled. Little to no meltwater production on our route.

Correctly aging avalanches right now is very difficult with multiple storms and warming events over the past few weeks. At least three or four slab avalanches looked recent (this week?), and plenty of loose debris also looked recent. Plenty of signs of older activity.

We dug a pit on a due north aspect at 6850'. 

HS 255 cm, 3/9 down 60 cm, JDL down 105 cm. Significant snow settlement/loss of snow depth since the peak during the AR around 3/12-3/14. 

Breakable crust capping 10 cm of fist hard dry recent snow from Tuesday.

Primary wetting front hung up on the 3/9, with slushy snow above. 

Some moisture had made it down to the JDL and the snow above, but previously moist at best, and generally refrozen. The layer was still scary looking.