Quick report
- Aspect
- Northwest
- Red Flags
- Cracking, Collapsing, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 3048 m
- Slope Angle
- 28°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Red flags were minimal. Only one collapse today. Cracking was fairly common but not extreme. The poor snow pack structure exsists but there doesn't seem to be enough weight to get things rolling...yet. </p>
CT tests showed several weaknesses in the snowpack but it took medium to hard effort to fail. I was finding a pencil hard wind crust which I have not been seeing in my travels along the Mirror Lake Highway. I was getting very clean shears on small grain facets below this crust. Most CT's failed at the ground. No propagation on the one ECT I did.
Traveled from 7600'-10,200' on the north half of the compass. The biggest hazard of the day was getting back down to the canyon bottom without doing damage to gear or body. Still pretty thin, even up high but from about 9K down it's marginal at best.
Without more water weight and/or wind I think the danger will continue to be moderate.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Waiting for more wind and/or snow.</p>
Not sure how much new snow overnight but there seemed to be anywhere from about 6"-12" right side up, new storm snow. Trail breaking was difficult at times when you would sandbox through to the facets.