Quick report
- Red Flags
- Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Dug a pit at 9,000, east facing. Total depth 125 cm. Four finger top 20 cm to one finger for the next 30 cm to a stout layer75 cm from the ground, 50 cm from the top. Then pencil for 30 cm to total loose unconsolidated. You could squeeze that loose snow all you wanted and it would not bond to itself. Isolated a column, and it was stubborn. When forced to fail, it broke as one clean block of 80 cm, failing on the sugary persistent weak layer. Disturbing to think about this hard slab breaking loose. It wouldn't be like being in a washing machine, it would be like taking a tumble as dozens of washing machines rained down around you. Found sugar in the bottom 45 cm to 55 cm throughout this area. </p>
Before the cloud ceiling dropped, could see some slide activity through the spotting scope. One of note on the NW-facing knob at 9,600', above GE Hill, that slid to the ground. Unsure when it went. On drive down Fairview Canyon at 4:15 P.M., rollerballs galore on the south-facing road cut.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Did several slope cuts on very low risk roll-overs steeper than 30. Nothing was reactive. But the basement is full of junk. Will feel uneasy about anything steeper than 30 until this heals. </p>
Moderately dense snow. Very supportable surface, predictable turns. A bit heavy as the more moist snow started to fall late in the day. Very easy to set skin track.