Quick report
- Aspect
- Northwest
- Red Flags
- Rapid Warming, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 2865 m
- Slope Angle
- 28°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>On the skin track up, we were amazed a how weak the snowpack was. You would easily sink in thigh deep in the rotten snowpack. Our snowpit confirmed the mostly unconsolidated snow. While we felt there was a lack of a consolidated slab, the pit test results were definitely alarming.</p>
We were expecting a more consolidate and supportable snowpack. Based on our ski penetration when skinning, we were not expecting much of a slab. A quick hand pit showed a loose slab. Our pit results definitely had us up our guard for the day. The compression test breaking at the ground definitely caught our attention. The extended column test broke mid pack, but both exhibited loose slab characteristics. We felt it could be easy to trigger a slide on a weak spot that had potential to step down to the ground.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>As noted in the pit profile, the snowpack is mostly faceted. The ECT breaking below the dirt layer could easily become a large problem with new snow added to the snowpack.</p> <p>With the high spring sun and warm days, sun exposed slopes could easily start to see some wet activity. In the areas we were at the snowpack was mostly unsupportable so the danger of wet slides could increase rapidly.</p>
Aspect was the key today. Any thing that received sun was crusted in the morning and wet by noon. Shaded north and northeast aspects retained good quality snow.