Quick report
- Red Flags
- Cracking, Collapsing, Rapid Warming
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Mostly minor collapsing and cracking of the warming M/F crust around the skis at mid-elevations, but at one point, I triggered a slightly larger collapse in the afternoon on a previously drifted terrain feature. We were sinking pretty deeply into soft and saturated (sopping wet) snow on our way down the summer trail, especially in sunny terrain. </p>
We did not find great spring conditions except in a few smoother places in lower-angled terrain in upper elevations. The snow up high in Deep Canyon was hammered by the strong easterly winds last week, exceedingly warm temperatures, and powerful sun this week. In some places, sastrugi and previously wind-drifted areas were interspersed with glistening melt/freeze ice patches. The dusty layer from March 1 was back on the snow surface in many places, speeding the melt and adding to the inconsistency of the snow surface.
Snowpack
The snow was rough in places due to last week's east wind and a little inconsistent. It was pretty solid up high, with decent, gradually softening "corn snow" conditions on northeast-facing slopes. As we got lower, in the early afternoon, the snow became very soft, unsupportable, and slushy. We were able to initiate small wet slides on sunny lower-elevation slopes as we descended the summer trail. There were a couple of places where you had to take the skis off to cross the rocks and mud where snow is rapidly melting off the summer trail.