Quick report
- Aspect
- West
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Cracking, Collapsing, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 2987 m
- Slope Angle
- 34°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>We saw almost all of them today. We went to the Monitors specifically to catch a recent avalanche but we didn't see any (apparently they came later in the day). We did cause a little sluff on Willow Knob as we were breaking trail. It was enough to get a few "Whoas" out of the group. There was collapsing of the snow the entire time and we got to play in a few wind slabs that were in low angle terrain. I guess that is one point I would like to make about today. It is always good for me to get out when avalanche danger is higher, I like to 'see and feel' what dangerous is. I obviously choose low-angle areas, but I feel this will help me when I come across something dangerous when all other indications are green. </p>
We did an ECT test today at 9800 ft. on a 34 degree slope. Total snow depth was 80 cm. The column failed upon isolation on the sugar layer near the ground. It wouldn't surprise me to see avalanches popping on this layer for some time into the future.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>We were able to get into the snow on a west facing aspect and there was a solid slab (4 finger, almost 1 finger) sitting on a very weak layer near the ground. I wasn't actually expecting to see this layer sitting there since I expected it only on the Northern aspects. </p> <p>There were wide spread wind slabs during our entire walk along the ridges, especially on East and Southeast facing aspects. They didn't feel very consolidated when we were walking around, but the wind speeds today we prime for additional loading. </p>
There was about 12" of new snow. It felt like the snow got denser and more supportable the higher we got. The new storm probably doubled the snowpack in the areas we travelled today.