Quick report

Butterfield

Zachary MillerGalena Summit & Eastern Mtns
View on map
Observation photo 1Observation photo 2Observation photo 3Observation photo 4Observation photo 5Observation photo 6Observation photo 7

Quick report

Today was another beautiful day in a long spell of them it seems... We observed no obvious signs of instability. We found widespread well-developed surface hoar below 8k' (pictured) and a variety of sun affected snow on all solar aspects. Snow depths ranged from 30cm at valley floor to 70cm at 9600' and were much deeper on shaded aspects at all elevations. Snow surfaces exposed to sunshine were moist by noon. We dug two quick pits: - 9300' SE 27* slope - HS 45cm with a 3cm decomposing melt-freeze-(sun)-crust capping dry to moist rounding grains above ~5cm of moist basal rounding facets and ECTX results in stability testing - 9600' NE 24* slope - HS 69cm with a dry right-side-up snowpack sitting atop ~10cm of basal rounding facets (pictured on crystal card) and ECTP27 @ 7cm (pictured as well)