Quick report
- Aspect
- Northeast
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Wind Loading, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 3353 m
- Slope Angle
- 25°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>The only avalanche activity I noticed in my tour today was a slide in Telegold that looks like it released along the rocks at the same spot it let loose last storm or shortly after. The lee side of the wind blasted ridges were wind loaded. I dug a pit on a northeast facing slope and found some small faceted crystals near the ground that were not reactive.</p>
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>I saw plenty of wind slabs throughout Gold Basin that may or may not be sitting on top of previous surface facets that formed during our January dry spell. See Dave Garcia's observation from yesterday for more details.</p> <p>Our fairly dry January has left us with some weak snow throughout the snowpack. Steeper terrain should be approached with caution and careful assessment.</p>
The snow that fell on Wednesday gave a much needed refresh to the mountains. Lower elevation slopes that face south and don't get any shelter from trees had a layer of melt feeze crust from earlier in the week. I noticed some 5-10mm surface hoar on sheltered north facing slopes down below tree line. Above treeline I saw evidence of wind loading on the north facing slopes of the high peaks with every ridge looking rather wind effected. I found great settled powder skiing in the north woods as well as in some sheltered southwest facing trees.