Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Wind and snow blowing off of the high peaks throughout the day, but relatively quiet and calm everywhere else including lower elevation ridgelines. </p>
-We dug two pits today in search of our new and scary persistent weak layer, and third to look at North facing snowpack.
-East facing slope @ 8400ft
No weaknesses observed other than the aforementioned thin wind slab/skin
-West facing slope @ 8200ft
No week layer observed, but roller balls had begun to form in the afternoon
-North facing slope @ 9600ft
Snow pack looks great and it's very satisfying to see our basal facets that have healed significantly in the last couple of weeks. Graupel layer about 40cm down from the surface is nonreactive.
Photo shows thin wind slab that was prevalent on all exposed terrain in upper broads fork.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Traveled up Broads Fork to Bonkers today. Wind crust/slab was immediately noticeably upon reaching the base of the slope on North --> East facing slopes. West facing slopes across the drainage were clearly wind affected as well.</p> <p> </p> <p>Wind crust was slippery and quick to break out from underneath our skis but altogether un-cohesive throughout the entirety of the climb. Care was taken when approaching the upper ridge and we did not move out on to the open face until lower down, but again we never managed to find any slabs deeper than 4 - 8cm.</p> <p> </p> <p>Although it did not pose a problem in the terrain we rode today, I would wary of skiing a more committing line where this, quick to pull out from under you, wind skin would be more of a concern.</p> <p> </p> <p>what is a relatively benign and predictable problem today will be something to watch as this next storm roles in.</p> <p>Wind sheltered north facing terrain has begun faceting at the surface and we were able to initiate small dry sloughs in 38 degree and steeper slopes</p>