Snowpack

Observation: North Ogden Divide

brian smithOgden
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Quick report

Red Flags
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comment
<p>Saw no red flags, jumped on a bunch of 40 deg. slopes without cracking, collapsing or test slope releases. </p>

Snowpack

Instability Comment
<p>Traveling around both skinning up and skiing down, I was not breaking through the firm surface crust and saw no signs of instability. I was surprised when I dug a pit at 7200" on a north slope that the PWL is still there despite the warm temps we have had intermittently the past two months at this elevation. I guess that is why it is called 'persistant'! There is a very stiff 2 inch crust down about a foot that came out with ECT 13 (full propagation). This crust is sitting on the old facets that failed. No sign of this instability skiing about but still a problem lurking. </p> <p> </p> <p>Photo 1: the buried crust (put on edge) that is sitting above the PWL</p> <p>Photo 2: dust on crust turns</p> <p>Video: failure of the buried crust on the PWL</p>

Mostly dust (one inch) on a soft crust. Reasonable turning on a smooth surface, see photo.