Quick report
- Aspect
- East
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Cracking, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 3353 m
- Slope Angle
- 28°
Variable snowpack in the area I traveled but the theme was facets. If the snowpack wasn't completely faceted top to bottom, there was a wind crust/slab on top of the facets. CT tests failed at the ground with medium to hard effort - CT20, plus or minus a few taps. Overall a shallow, weak snowpack.
Noticed this slide off of Bald Mountain, running just over the summer trail. I watched two snowshoers walk the trail a few days ago.
Bony conditions in the alpine terrain of the Uintas.
Bottom photos of the decomposing stellars that fell on 12/4-5.
Low danger overall but if you get into wind loaded terrain more like moderate danger. Wind is the key factor right now until we see more new snow.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>The shallow snow pack is mostly faceted and the wind has been blowing. I was finding wind slabs just off the ridgelines and even lower down in open terrain. Stomping around, I was actually finding these slabs stubborn and mostly just cracking. </p>
The wind has blowing in the Uintas and any non-protected slopes are a variety of soft snow and wind crusts of varying thicknesses.