Observation: North Fork Birch Creek

This is not the all green all the time snowpack that existed all week in the Cottonwoods. Gusts in the 30s transported snow way off the ridge on the west facing slope we were skiing. Minor cracking, multiple whoomphs, more crusts than the county fair pie contest. Kobernik's video posted Friday showing easily triggered collapses in snow pits should get your attention. Dug a pit on a west facing 31 degree slope at 8,900 feet. Total depth 127 cm. The top layer of 22cm fresh failed at ECT 13 on a stout crust from last week's warm and sunny days. It was easy to get shearing on a crust 67 cm down (60 cm from ground) and to get the entire column in other tests to fail on the bottom 30 cm of dry unconsolidated sugar.

Wind had created crusts and wind pillows almost a half kilometer (distance, not elevation) off the ridge. Lower down, in areas with trees the wind had much less effect on the new snow.