Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Rapid Warming
I started touring from Alta at around 1000 this morning with no winds down low and blue skies. As I rose higher on the Patsey ridge, the wind began to pick up and sustained a high speed. Temps were in the 50s and the winds created a very thin melt-freeze crust on south facing aspects. Around 1100 cirrus clouds began to move in which helped sustain the high temps. Overall the skiing was fairly treacherous with a few okay turns. At 1200 the sky became overcast and the wind gusts picked up in intensity. By my departure at 1400, the overcast began to break with the wind still blowing strong.
As an aside, I have noticed a lot of people touring without a beacon on their body. I assume it is in their backpack but remember that people die every year due to leaving their beacon accidentally turned off in their backpack and/or their backpack being separated from them during an avalanche. Let's use our "backcountry brains" and stay safe this season.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>In the areas where unconsolidated snow still exists, and snow around rocks and trees, wet loose snow was releasing in small amounts. I suspect that in extreme terrain you could pull out a small wet slide. This problem will likely disappear in the next day or two as after today's high temperatures and strong solar coupled with strong winds have further consolidated the snow or created a stiff crust. </p> <p>The winds were howling up high today and what little snow there was to transport was moved around. Usually my tracks were filled in after about 5 minutes due to the winds. There are definitely wind slabs out there but they seem to have bonded well to the layer below. The high temps we have been experiencing will continue to promote metamorphosis in the snowpack and increase the strength of these bonds between wind-blown snow and old snow. </p>