Quick report
Low sun angles and cool weather kept the snow soft and cold on N-NE aspects of Rubicon. During our tour, we saw signs of settlement and consolidation, including settlement cracks and settlement cones around trees as well as snowpit data (see snowpack section). Probing with our ski poles also indicated that the snowpack gets denser with depth. Not surprisingly, snow depth also increases dramatically with elevation:
- @ 7000 ft, we measured about 20 inches (50 cm)
- @ 8000 ft, we measured about 35 inches (90 cm)
- @ 9000 ft, we measured about 60 inches (150 cm)
Near the summit of Rubicon, we could see wind-sculpted surfaces from the SW winds during the storm, but we did not see much evidence of NE-E wind transport. We also didn't see any blowing snow on the peaks in the Desolation Wilderness.
Weather
- Air Temp
- 28
- Cloud Cover
- clear
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
Temperatures started off cold this morning, and then gradually warmed up throughout the day. The NE-E winds had calmed by the time we reached the summit of Rubicon at noon.
Snowpack
We dug a snowpit on a north aspect at 8,600 ft. It showed good consolidation and strength gains in the recent storm snow. We still found a moist layer of old snow near the base, but snowpit tests did not produce any unstable results.