Quick report
- Aspect
- Northwest
- Red Flags
- Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Cracking, Collapsing, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 3414 m
- Slope Angle
- 26°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p> Dave and I experienced widespread collapsing and cracking throughout the day. In most areas we walked in we felt something collapse. The largest collapse of the day occurring along then Pre Laurel Peak Ridgeline in the flats above the Coyote Chutes. It was loud and we both felt it standing about 50 feet apart. Although, this did not crack out at all. One of the few that didn't. Along the Pre Laurel Ridge above tree line the winds were moderate with strong gusts transporting snow from the north to the south loading up the Funnel starting zones. </p>
Video of an ECT on Prelude just above the North Woods. The first ECT we did failed on a NSF layer just above a small crust mid pack. We thought it was strange that it didn't fail on the Basel facets, so we repeated another ECT. This time we got an ECTP 14 SC on the basal facets. Did another ECT which is this video. ECTP 13 SC. which in the video I believe I scored it a 14. Note worthy! As we skied in to this area off the Pre Laurel Ridge we had 2 large cracks shoot out just below our pit site as we came to a stop.
Photo: 1. One of the many shooting cracks we experienced after a collapse on a test slope. Photo: 2. The skin track above The Coyote Chutes were we had our hardest and loudest collapse of the day. No cracking. Photo: 3. Dave Garcia making his way up the Pre Laurel Ridge just below where the were winds were cranking.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p> With a poor snowpack structure and the weight of the new snow. I agree we are starting to see a persistent slab avalanche problem. With ECT results failing on a couple different interfaces within the snowpack. Near mid pack and at the basal facets we simply just need a bit more of a load on those weak layers before we see a natural cycle occur. The winds may have helped that out today above treeline. </p> <p> Lots of light density snow for transport. Winds along the Pre Laurel Peak Ridgeline at 11,500 feet were moderate with strong gusts. Blowing out of the north and loading the southern half of the compass. The starting zones above the Funnel were getting pretty loaded up. We didn't poke around the wind pillows at all and didn't spend much time up on the ridge. With the winds blasting us with snow and the cold temps we peaced out pretty quick to gain the shelter of terrain below treeline. </p>
The light density snow was pretty easy to break trail in today. It pushed out in front of the skis quite easily despite being quite deep. A lack of a real base had us punching through even deeper than the new snow in areas.