Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>This was a weird pit. Between ridge line and trees, about 50' vertically below ridge and 50' above trees. Despite this, our party ski-tested several rolls, and got only new-snow sluffs, although we stayed in the trees on slopes greater than 30 degrees. Chicken. Many, many new-snow sluffs and small slides observed in bowls north and south, although the paths did not widen or seem to contain anything greater than 1.0 to 1.5. </p>
We observed a LOT of wind transport from exposed ridgelines, NW to SE from a couple of squalls this afternoon. Bummer. Observer believes spatial variation is going to be significant this season; more than normal. Wind blasts from vigorous squalls very local in effect. This skier's quick take: Careful this year! I am expecting to test, check, do more pits than usual this year. The pack is weird, highly localized in profile, and the winds have been all over the compass.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Lots of sluffs, not large.</p> <p>Old slab activity noted, suspect much of it controlled. </p>
Pit 50' below ridgeline, very complex pack. Bottom-to-top: Sugar at ground surface, then some fairly competent layering, then 10 cm VERY weak layer (fist), then accursed rain crust (pencil to almost knife), then some compacted wind-slab, then about 40cm light powder on top. ~9600 feet, NE aspect.