Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>We found overall stable conditions on our tour today, however the formation of wind slabs down around 10,000 feet on northwest facing slopes as well as obvious snow transport off of the high peaks this morning is something that we should all keep in mind when out in the back country.</p>
We dug a quick pit at 10,500 feet on a northwest facing 35 degree slope. The snowpack was 120cm deep with a fist hardness at the top and a firm 1 finger at the bottom. We did a couple shovel shear test and both times the snow reluctantly broke 55cm from the ground on what we presumed was the snow from late November/early December. When we pulled the rest of the column away from the ground it pulled a piece of scree with it.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>The little refresh of snow we got earlier in the week was still actively moving around at upper elevations this morning. Be cautious around areas of rounded wind deposited snow. </p> <p>It sounds like we still have a persistent weak layer lingering on south and southeast facing slopes as well as some areas of weaker snow in shallow rocky terrain.</p>
We found a mixed bag of snow conditions on our tour out in Corkscrew glades today. The winds we experienced earlier in the week were obvious with plenty of effected snow on ridges and open areas. We found some nice creamy settled powder in the sheltered areas and some soft wind buffed snow close to the tree line in open area. We also found some areas of firm wind deposited snow out in the open on northwest facing slopes as well as some isolated pockets of rotten snow in the woods. This snow was typically near downed trees where the snow had bridged over the log creating a shallow pocket. In the morning we found a thick zipper crust on southwest slopes that had formed during a sunny period earlier in the week. On our way out it was obvious that southerly aspects were being heated by the sun.