Quick report
- Collapsing
- specific
Headed out to Jefferson Ravine in search of good skiing. Conducted a swift ECT in a seemingly heavily loaded section of the Beach at 5500 feet. Found the surface to be 15cm of wet snow, followed by 35cm of finger hard, medium-wet snow, becoming less saturated at lower depths, all atop a P+ freeze layer. The ECT resulted in an ECTP 11 at the freeze layer. The skiing on the beach was enjoyable. However, below the entrance to Stealth Gully, the snow became excessively soft and saturated, prompting me to abandon the descent. While transitioning and moving to a less sheltered area to the south, I heard an intense "whumpf" and felt a slight collapse, this occurred two more times as I quickly traversed out of the gully. Having never encountered snow collapsing before, I was taken aback by the dramatic sound and spent a few moments in disbelief, searching for an alternative explanation.