Quick report
- Red Flags
- Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Collapsing
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Despite a few red flags, the snowpack was remarkably stable. There was some wind affect near the highest ridges but they seemed settled and did not crack. I had the feeling that you needed to be at even higher elevations to find significant loading. One person felt one collapse around 9k on a sheltered north facing slope but it did not move.</p>
Through the clouds, looking across Big Cottonwood Canyon, I could see lots of sluffs or soft slab debris in upper Broad's Fork in the upper bowl coming off the steeper terrain.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Lingering wind slabs are probably the main problem but we did not see any sensitive ones in that terrain despite being on the high ridge at 9,700'. The person breaking trail at the time decided to avoid one suspicious looking slope near the top but the wind slabs seemed settled and stabilized there. The problem was very localized in Neffs, as near as I could tell.</p> <p>If we get warming there will be some damp to wet sluffs on steep, sun exposed slopes. Lots of snow to move.</p>
Much-needed refresher for our snow surface conditions with about a foot of new snow. Despite being a stunningly beautiful day and a winter wonderland, the new snow was not quite perfect, as it was a bit dense and a wee bit slabby. Trailbreaking was difficult. You had to be on a steep slope to make turns. Wide tools worked best, which I did not have.