Quick report
We headed from Snug Harbor to Lost Lake looking for avalanche activity and to see if there were concerning layers in the snowpack. Strong winds at all elevations from the north were actively loading most slopes. The avalanches we saw were likely wind slab avalanches. These were at all elevations including small steep slopes in valley bottoms. We found two layers of faceted snow that were unreactive in stability tests. Until we gather more information, especially closer to Lost Lake, we are not sure if the snowpack is capable of triggering large avalanches. Keep this in mind on steep slopes.
I heard a loud whumpf snowmachining down a wind loaded slope.Weather
- Air Temp
- 10
- Cloud Cover
- clear
- Wind Loading
- intense
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
Cold, clear and windy sums up the conditions today. Closer to Boulder Creek the winds were howling in the valleys and on the ridges. These winds were transporting tons of snow into fresh wind slabs. The winds began to decrease towards the end of the day.
Snowpack
We chose a shallow spot to dig our pit so that we could get a look at the crust layers that formed this season from warm storm events. We did not get concerning results. We did find 2 weak layers, one between 2 thick crusts and another closer to the surface below a thin crust. We did not see avalanches that looked like they failed on a weak layer but blowing snow could have covered them up. If these layers are a problem they will likely be found on wind loaded slopes. For now we are gonna keep an eye on these layers.
Avalanche
We saw avalanches on wind loaded slopes that looked like wind slab avalanches. They were located at all elevations including small steep slopes in the valley bottoms. Some were large enough to bury a person.