Quick report
- Aspect
- West
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Cracking, Collapsing, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 2987 m
- Slope Angle
- 15°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Remote triggering of avalanches was common in the last 48 hours, but today we failed to remotely trigger slides in several steep north through northeast bowls. Cracking and collapsing is still the norm: our party heard 10+ good whomphs, with collapses up to 100ft in radius. This indication of poor snowpack structure--and the ability to propagate a fracture--was observed as low as 8600', on aspects ranging from west (260 degrees) to east.</p>
Most avalanches reported to the UAC between Nov 22nd and Nov 26th have been on upper elevation north and northeast aspects. We wanted to see if west aspects were suspect: they are. Extended column tests showed full propagation with 5 light taps on both WNW 8860' and W 9800'. East aspects at 9200' held a thin layer of developed facets that produced cracking and collapsing.
Snowpack
'Surface hoar braodly distributed throughout tour, from 7800' to 9500'.
Today's damp snow surface on solar aspects will be tomorrow's crust.
Windbuff on exposed ridge lines.
Excellent (if tentative) powder skiing out there. Sporty exit.