Grand Mesa

We observed a couple of older avalanches on the steep north side of Crag Crest. Unknown if they were naturals or human-triggered.

The current weather was breezy and warming nicely during the day.

The current snowpack ranged from 28 inches (70 cm) to about 48 inches (120 cm). The snow near the ground is faceted (or sugar-like), and there is a cohesive slab on top of this that is supportable to snowmobiles and feet. It takes a lot of load to break through this layer, but the poor snowpack structure still exists to trigger a dangerous avalanche on the right steep, unsupported north-facing slope. Normal signs of instability were not observed, but the weak layer persists below a cohesive slab. South-facing grassy and rocky areas are nearly melted out, creating navigation challenges, with only a couple of inches of slush and crusts resting on bare ground. Additionally, we found many open, difficult-to-cross creeks with steep snow banks.