Decker 190317

For the second Saturday in a row, riders rode over the steepest convexity on the main Decker Glacier face, again initiating avalanches. This week result was slab vs loose dry last week. Primary concern here is that shallow rocky terrain right next door has depth hoar to 6mm around rocks. One of these small avies could stress this zone creating a much bigger slide. One further windslab release at 2400m NW directly under summit cornice on Ninth Hole left.

Wide variation in surfaces in high alpine. Polar aspects skiing very well, with ski pen to 40cm in facetted snow. Solar aspects heating up during day and roller ball festival is on. By early p.m. loose wet to size one occurring naturally out of steep rocky terrain. Suspect resulting free water will increase conduction of heat energy over next few days. Refreeze at night is still happening, but this may cease on solar aspects if skies remain clear. Checked out one windslab natural from early p. m.Thursday during wind event. Cross loaded ribbed feature at 2300m failed 40cm down on 27 degree slope. Size one dry slab ran 50m down slope. Failure plane old wind press from down flow winds 190312 evening. Reloaded in a few hours by strong SW winds 190314.