Quick report
- Aspect
- Northwest
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Wind Loading, Cracking, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 2896 m
- Slope Angle
- 32°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Did not notice any Red Flags upon our ascent to Willows, but when we dug a pit on a sheltered NNW facing slope we discovered the big red flags for that aspect and elevation (9500ft)</p>
Great Sunny day with good snow skied around noon down willows and back out to Soli Entry 2.
Snow pit dug on safe NNW test slope, 35 degrees, shady, 9500ft. ECT produced results at 2 from shoulder, clean q1 shear, q2 directly under shovel blade. As my partner was leaving the snow pit, a loud whoompf was heard and a crack from the top of our snow pit propagated 40 feet or so down the ridge line. Slab was heavy and sheared on 35cms of really poor facets at the ground. You can see the crack where her ski was on the 4th image, and the 5th shows the propagation of that crack. We got back on top of the ridge as fast as possible.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>The slab is heavier as the snow above the faceting layers is consolidating and becoming a harder slab. If it breaks, it would be a lot of weight to deal with. </p>
Noticed wind crust on S-SW facing upper elevation aspects ascending to the Monitors/Willows Ridgeline. Due South Apects seeing some damp/sun baked/sun crusts