Snowpack

Observation: Lewis Peak Area

Derek DeBruinOgden
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Quick report

Dug on NW and NE ca 7800ft. In both cases found crust on top, and then 4F/1F snow to the ground with another mid-pack paper thin crust. Put a hand in the snow several times on the ascent, too, and found similar snowpack, though the mid-pack crust was occasionally traded for a basal ice lens. Mixed forms and tiny rouding facets as might be expected, with everything at least a little bit damp all the way to the ground (more wet with decreasing elevation).

Photos below of pit as well as general coverage on Lewis Peak and photo taken from the south of the terrain on the Ben Lomond massif.

Snowpack

Snow coverage at the Divide was not terribly different than what might be expected given the rest of coverage in the Ogden zone. There were a few inches at the trailhead, with depths varying from 0cm to 30cm in general as we made our way to the 8000ft Lewis Peak ridgeline. The deepest wind drifts we found along the ridge were 40-45cm deep, which required some intention to find. Snow surface was often-slick rain crust, varying from 3cm to 10cm thickness, nearly all of which was stout and supportable with no boot pen. In short, the rain/snow line was at least as high as 8000ft.