Observation: Cardiac Ridge

Wanted to go take a look at Cardiac before the next storm to get a handle on slope history. I was quite impressed with the avalanches on the ridge, basically all the upper elevation NE facing sections of the ridge pulled out to the ground and ran almost to the flatter terrain. Also of interest was how once the slides hit the mid slope roll over they stepped down to the dirt on all the portions with NE in them, I'm thinking that the cause was lingering depth hoar from before the last two storms. Definitely the biggest connected slide I've seen this year, with the largest debris pile.

Photos: whole deal, where it stepped down on the roll over, wind loading occuring during the day, nice surface hoar in the drainage bottoms.

Low in most terrain today, wind might be a factor tomorrow

The new snow from the last storm was getting affected by mid afternoon, the wind was forming a stiff wind skin on Cardiac Ridge and starting to stiffen and slab up at my exit at 2:00pm, the snow was damp at lower elevations and also on south facing aspects.