Salt Creek Area, Shelter Ridge

My main objective today was to try to get eyes on a large avalanche that was reported from last weekend's avalanche course that was spotted in Salt Creek Bowl.  I had heard that it ran down to the Salt Creek drainage.  I did not have visibility to see the ridgeline of Wing Ridge, but I couldn't find any debris in the drainage bottom.  I'm guessing it held up on the midslope bench above the drainage bottom.  If anyone has a good photo of this avalanche from last week, please post it in an observation.  Thanks!   

The snowpack structure in the Northern Wallowas is still poor.  While a natural avalanche cycle occurred around January 21st, I would still be weary of "repeater" avalanches that could occur if these slopes start to reload if  these avalanches didn't wipe out all of the garbage near the ground.  Just because it already avalanched, doesn't mean that it won't again once we build another slab on top of it.  Careful snowpack evaluation and conservative terrain selection will remain critical.  

The forecast is calling for another 6" or more through Saturday morning.  While this will greatly increase the quality of the riding, look out for building storm and wind slabs that will not be well bonded to the rain crust.  

Poor snowpack structure observed. Propagating Extended Column Test.

I dug a pit at 7700' on a North Aspect along Shelter Ridge.  I found 100 cm or 39 inches of total snow at this location.  There was 3 inches of new snow on top of a half-inch rain crust.  The slab got harder with depth from 4 finger to 1 finger to Pencil until the January 4th interface (just under 2 feet from the surface).  Midway through the slab was a thin melt freeze or temperature crust that produced moderate shears.  (see photo).  The snow 4 inches just below the January 4th interface has strengthened a bit, but unfortunately below that the facets are still very weak (4 finger to Fist hard).  I was able to make a snowball out of the weak-faceted snow.  My Extended Column Test produced a propagating result on the 26th tap with a great deal of energy.  This failed about 4 inches below the January 4th interface.    My take homes from this snowpit is that the slab has become quite a bit more cohesive with the recent warm weather and rain.  This could carry your weight more than it could last week....until....you find a thin spot in the slab.  I think large and even very large human-triggered avalanches will remain possible (if not likely in thinner areas) in the Northern Wallowas.  

I found better-than-expected riding conditions with a bit of fresh on top of the supportive rain crust.