Quick report
- Red Flags
- Collapsing
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Areas that will grow into the cornices here hollow, supportable, and would collapse loudly. The size of the collapsed areas was directly proportionate to the density of trees: many trees not so big collapse, few trees bigger collapse. </p>
Went looking for collapsing snow and found it. Went looking for sliding snow, and kind of found it. We went looking for 30” and we found it. When turns were linked, the skiing was awesome. Our intentions were to get out for a hike and poke around. I must say, 30” sure will put a smile on your face. How often do you get fresh tracks to your car along the White Pine trail?
While walking along the Pink Pine ridge line, we collapsed an area that produced a significant crack. The whole open area was affected. If the area had less trees it could have slid. If the area was a few degrees steeper, it could have slid. In the photo below, the entire open area is the location I am speaking of.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Stiff wind slabs in this area could hold a good amount of weight. </p> <p>Rotted snow at the ground wasn’t as thick, and is not as well positioned in the snowpack to have the new storm slab slide (at the steepness we were directly standing in, but sure would have had it been any steeper). Not to say that in the areas steep enough and lacking trees would not have slid, but we experienced mostly collapsing. There is enough ground features still sticking up to keep this new storm slab from sliding (but we did not travel it the barely treed terrain, or open grassy patches, which possibly could have slid). </p> <p>This rotted snow is about 4-6” thick, and before this new slab, there were still a lot of anchors sticking out. Now, there is a good chunk of snow sitting on this rotten snow, filling in the gaps around the anchors. If this new snow weakens or gets crusty, the majority of the anchors will still be covered, leading to a really high danger in the future. </p>
Way at the base, down to the ground, there was a thin layer of damp snow. Several inches of rotted snow. Then the 30”.