Quick report
A small group went out for a tour in the Mammoth Lakes Basin to collect observations about the persistent slab problem, investigate the affect of the warming temperature trend and to look for some soft winter snow to ski on.
- It was a beautiful day in the mountains with light winds, mostly clear skies and warm temperatures!
- We saw a large, old avalanche on a northerly aspect above treeline that likely failed during the last loading event.
- We saw a fresh, very small, wet loose avalanche in a rocky area at a below treeline elevation near Twin Lakes on an East aspect.
- We found wet snow on the surface on solar aspects below and near treeline. Even shady slopes at lower elevations were stickier and less soft than yesterday.
- We dug a couple snowpits in below treeline terrain at around 9000' to investigate the persistent slab structure and had somewhat mixed stability test results.
- Some previously wind affected slopes in the alpine are showing signs of surface faceting.
Weather
- Air Temp
- 7c observed at 1045
- Cloud Cover
- few
Temperatures above freezing. Mostly clear skies. Calm winds gusting light out of the north.
Snowpack
We dug a snowpit at 9200' in a below treeline area on a NW aspect investigating the persistent weak layer/crust combo at that elevation band.
Avalanche
- Size
- D1
- Count
- 2
- Aspect
- E
- Trigger
- N
- Elevation
- 8700 ft
Observed one large avalanche beneath the Mammoth Crest on a North aspect adjacent to Red Cone Bowl which likely failed during the last loading event. Likely size D2.5. There was 1 very small wet loose avalanche beneath the rocks in the vicinity of Hole in the Wall.