Scalplock LO

Took a stroll up Scalplock for views, sunshine, and to see what Santa has in store for us tomorrow. A few gifts dropped from his sled in the form of wet loose slides, slab avalanches in the Flathead Range alpine, complete with snowpack collapsing and a stocking stuffer of late December glopping in specific locations. •Below 5000' snow is frozen isothermal (patchy-12") dependent on aspect (along Scalplock trail) •The transitionary point began at 5500-6000' and soon the fresh powder from past days was glopping to our skins as the sun began to moisten the surface snow •Dry, dense powder was experienced along flat sections of ridgeline (no aspect), our first and only collapses •Although southerlies came unglued, an upper level stratus deck shaded out the area around 2pm and temps quickly moderated (observed wet loose were not entraining much snow and were confined to surface) •At the LO, surface snow stayed dry and no tree drip •With the help of binoculars, a recent (apparently cornice caused) estimated D2.5 slab avalanche was noted in the upper alpine terrain of Tunnel Creek. Debris reached at least 6500' before going out of viewshed. Not sure if from recent storm snow or deeper instability, but it appeared to be within the recent snow. •Dug a quick, hasty pit at 6500' on an E aspect to investigate the cause of collapsing, and there was no clear evidence of surface hoar but some weak snow buried ~12" from the surface on top of a friable M/F crust Experienced collapsing within the snowpack at 6500' along ridgeline (three audible whumpfs)

Scalplock LO

Quick report

Weather

Avalanche