Lower Hatch

Toured past some impressive recent natural avalanches on the north side of Hatch as well as observed from the road. Many of these crossed the creek and traveled uphill. Many of these recent naturals have a common characteristic: they started as wind slabs failing within new snow (likely on a widespread layer of graupel, see photo below) and then quickly entrained loose, wet snow below. These are dangerous avalanches. Even ones that are slow-moving will have the ability to sink equipment and bury someone quite deep, given how saturated the snowpack is. 

We are in a period of entrenchment where these layers in the upper snowpack are likely still preserved at upper elevations, and warm daytime temperatures will continue to make it possible to see natural avalanches. Be this as it may, I was surprised at the quality of the surface conditions. Turns felt like "hot pow" and surfaces were fast sliding, even late in the day. I was glad not to be in steep, previously wind-loaded terrain where smooth surfaces remain, and human-triggered avalanches will continue to be possible trending likely by later in the day.

See "Avalanches" below. No cracking, collapsing or whumphing. Red flags today were avalanches and signs of warming (pinwheels and point releases).

From the Hatch Peak lot, all snow was isothermic--my boot penetration off my splitboard was to my hip. While snow surfaces were moist, they were not gloppy and skinning was pleasant and efficient, albeit with heavy snow off the track. 

I dug on the looker's left side of the smaller of the two slides (see photo with arrows below). Pitsite was around 3,600' on a NE aspect. In this location, height of snow was 6' deep. The top meter of the snowpack was saturated and rightside-up in hardness and feel. While I got no conclusive results in my pit (ECTX), after some shovel shearing and excavating, was able to find the graupel layer (see crystal card photo).