Quick report
- Aspect
- Northeast
- Red Flags
- Rapid Warming, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 3109 m
- Slope Angle
- 45°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>It's clear we've got a poor snowpack structure with basal facets interfacing with more cohesive snow over top. In the few hours we were up in the mountains, it was incredibly surprising to see the temps warm enough to cause puddles to form at the TH and soften the snow surface above 10,000'. The need to skin in T-shirts in December feels like a red-flag in its own right.</p>
First day out since ACL surgery and it was nice to use the ol' leg again. Interested to see how things shape up in subsequent storms/months.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Classic</p> <p>It's apparent wind has been hard at work in the mountains lately. Wind-loaded areas appear to be sensitive right now.</p>
The surface conditions were variable both in texture and spatial distribution. We observed surface hoar (~1cm) in open areas where the wind had not yet impacted and transported it. We observed sastrugi-strewn areas along with stiff, wind-loaded areas which had a strong propensity for cracking around my boards. We also noticed the surface conditions warming and softening in mid afternoon on solar aspects. Finally, we did manage to find a few sections of soft, powder with descent turns in the sheltered, shady areas. Under the snow surface, it was obvious that more cohesive snow was overlaying weak, uncohesive snow with a quick ski pole test and watching the dogs vacillate above and below the snow surface. We further observed this in a small pit we dug, highlighting basal facets in the bottom half of the shallow snowpack.