Quick report
- Aspect
- Northeast
- Red Flags
- Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 2804 m
- Slope Angle
- 16°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Did not observe any collapsing or cracking today so the main red flag is poor snowpack structure - slab over facets. On south facing slopes, during the peak of the day, warming could be an issue.</p>
The hard slab and time since load complicate interpretation of pit results. On one hand, it seemed like to would be difficult to trigger an avalanche below the stout wind slab - at times it was almost difficult to dig through. On the other, the two step difference in density between the slab and the depth hoar stands out as a structural lemon. Hard slabs are also said to be less "predicable" than other types avalanches. Needless to say, we were not ready to trust this combination and generally stayed on lower angle slopes. We did see tracks on a few steeper rolls with no results.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>The snow profile below illustrates the well advertised slab on facets problem. In most open areas, like where we dug the pit, the slab was quite strong (pencil) and this was the strongest slab we have seen in this season. By comparison pits in Maybird trees or in Mill D had at most 1F hardness slabs. We didn't dig in the trees but pole tests showed the slab to be substantially softer so our assumption is that this is an old wind slab.</p>
We spent most of the day on northeast facing slopes. In shady areas, the snow was largely soft and skied well. More open shaded areas did have the rime crust but it was somewhat variable and a relatively minor hinderance to skiing. The rime crust was not present in the trees so those areas skied slightly better. Some tracks but not too bad considering it has been a while since new snow.
Coverage below Lake Peak in Boulder Basin and on adjacent slopes was thin and many large boulders had not yet been covered. Pits from this area last year were about 200cm deep compared to 115cm this year. There were plenty of tracks below the Tri-Chutes and two on Red Baldy.
On sunny aspects, the snow was either crusty or soft and unsupportable, depending on timing. As an indicator of snow quality, we noted one small, old wet loose snow avalanche in the south facing trees on the other side of Scotties Bowl.