Weather
- Cloud Cover
- few
- Wind Loading
- intense
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
Leaving the truck just before 0800, winds were light at valley bottom with skies clear. Throughout the day, high thin cloud cover increased up to SCT. Temperatures were cool in the morning shade, but as soon as I climbed into the sun in more protected areas temperatures increased to near freezing. Winds increased to moderate as soon as I climbed to 9400' in the drainage, and sustained strong at 10,000' and above. As I ascended the SW ridge of Hyndman, winds increased from strong to extreme — my Kestrel registered multiple gusts over 70mph, with sustained winds in the high 50's and low 60's out of the SW. This was near double the fx-ed wind speed and made it difficult to stand even on relatively friendly skinning surfaces. Being knocked around from the wind ultimately caused me to descend prior to the summit.
Snowpack
Leaving the truck around 0800, HS at valley bottom near 6500' was 60-80cm. Surfaces varied from 4-5mm SH at valley bottoms, to FC in other more sheltered areas protected from the sun (see photo). A solar / ambient temperature MFcr was present on most terrain up to 10,000'. This crust softened below 9300' in terrain I traveled— where alpine winds were not reaching, just at light speeds — throughout the day with the sun / warm temperatures, and likely refroze solidly overnight. HS in sheltered terrain near 9400', which appeared to be the sweet spot for accumulating snow, was 130cm, with the 2/1 weak layer about 60-70cm. Below 9400', HS was closer to 70-80cm, with 2/1 down about 35cm. In the alpine near 9800', wind scouring limited HS to closer to 60cm. I did not dig up high to see the depth of the 2/1 due to the strong to extreme winds.
Digging a pit near 9300' on a NE aspect, I found the 2/1 layer down 65cm which presented as a ~3cm melt-freeze crust (MFcr) to be bonding quite well with no results on this layer. The 1/6 was down 90cm and produced multiple propogating test results (ECTP 24, 27, 26). The incoming storm will add stress to these layers, in addition to our variety of slick surfaces.
Avalanche
- Size
- D2
- Count
- 3
- Aspect
- N
- Trigger
- N
- Elevation
- 9000 ft
I observed a handful of recent small (D1-D1.5) wet loose avalanches that occurred in the past 24 hrs, as well as a larger (D2) wet loose on the SSW face of Cobb. There also were 4 large to very large (D2 - D3.5) older persistent slab avalanches, multiple of which Ben reported in his recent observation, including a D3-3.5 that occurred on the S face of Hyndman that is particularly of note. 2 occurred on Hyndman Peak, and 2 were lower down in the drainage off of Hyndman Creek Rd.