Quick report
- Aspect
- West
- Red Flags
- Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Cracking, Collapsing, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 3048 m
- Slope Angle
- 34°
Red line marks failure plane. I got 2 extended column tests to fail with propagation while cutting at the interface of the graupel and the old snow (ECTPV x2). This occurred about 2' (65cm) from the surface. Any avalanche that breaks on this layer would be big enough to catch, carry, and bury a human (D2). This shows a very weak structure and with new snow that fell today and forecasted snow totals I would not be surprised to hear of many natural avalanches occurring throughout the range. Where I traveled today I felt collapsing on north and west aspects above 9,000'. This graupel failure plane is similar to the layer we found yesterday in Snake Creek (Northern Provo Region).
Above photo shows depth of the slab (24") on top of the dirty graupel layer.
If this layer has been loaded with wind drifted snow it will be even more suspect. I stuck to lower elevation terrain under 35° degrees and mostly traveled on terrain less than 30 ° in steepness. As much as I want to be able to have go-for-it kind of Wasatch day, I am keeping things in check with hopes that the PWL will settle out before it melts out and I'll get a chance to travel safely through the mountains this season.
Snowpack
12"-15" of new snow with deeper wind drifts. New snow was heavily rimed.