Tunnel Ridge

We took a warm ride up to mid-elevations on the hunt for recent avalanche activity and to assess the affects of yesterday's rain on the snowpack. 

• A few recent slab avalanches with dozens of older crowns visible in mid- and upper-elevations.
• Stubborn wet loose activity; despite our efforts, only one roller ball entrained wet snow and fanned downhill. Runnels were visible up to roughly 8000' and previous wet loose activity (small) was visible on all aspects. 
• A pit at 5800' revealed moist snow to at least 6 feet deep. (Nearby weather station recorded 18" of settlement in the past 48 hours)
  • Weak layers were moist to very wet, especially where water pooled above crusts.
• Flagging at the upper elevations only on the highest peaks with the strong gusts. Small cornices were saturated at mid-elevation ridgelines.

On the drive home we admired the start of 'chocolate milk' flowing down the Middle Fork, which has more than doubled its flow in the past 24 hours ( 1500 cfs to 3800 cfs).

A recent D2.5 slab avalanche on a NE upper-elevation slope, with dozens of older D2s and smaller in the surrounding terrain. Significant sign of wet loose avalanches (all D1 or less) from steep rocky and treed slopes. Glide cracks are starting to poke out.

5800' / W / 20° / HS = 280 CM

Dug down 200 cm and found a very wet snowpack. Saturated layers of slushy snow approximately 25cm, 100cm, 115cm, and 175cm down with no facets/surface hoar present. The snow above and below these was moist to very wet and varying hardness from 4F to 1F.