Baxter Basin

We found quiet conditions underfoot and hard propagating test results below treeline on northerly terrain features.  The slab above the Christmas crust is generally 2 feet thick and up to 1 finger hardness.  Overall, it appears that the slab/weak layer combination is hanging in equilibrium.  As we climbed higher into the terrain, the crust disappeared and winds made the slab thickness more variable.  Human-triggered slabs seem possible when you are at elevations above the Christmas Crust and where winds make the slab variable thickness.

We traveled through northerly terrain up to 11,000 feet, intending to investigate the crown of a remote triggered slide from last Saturday, 1/10.  The snowpack where that avalanche failed was generally a meter deep or less.  The weak layer formed during the December drought and consisted of fist+ hard facets 2mm in size.  This slide occurred above the Christmas rain line.

We dug a profile a few hundred feet lower with less wind effect and found a slightly deeper snowpack.  At this location, the December drought layer is capped by the Christmas Crust.  The facets below the crust showed signs of rounding and a slight increase in hardness as compared to the crown profile higher above.  I suspect the slightly deeper snowpack at the lower, more sheltered spot was just deep enough to see an improvement in the weak layer.

Surface hoar is present below about 10,000 feet on shaded slopes in this area.