Quick report
- Red Flags
- Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>In upper portion of mid- and upper-elevations (above 8800'), old, weak snow remains at the base of the snowpack on E-N-W aspects. </p>
Photo #1 — Road coverage had some patchy & icy areas at lower elevations due to warm temps/rain. Nikki and I determined that the plus side of this was that we had a multi-sport day to celebrate the solstice: sledding, ice skating, and dirt biking all without leaving our sleds.
Photos #2-4 — Difference in snowpack depth and structure nuances between aspects. We found an isolated secondary, very thin, eggshell-like rain crust on a N aspect near 8800' where orographics likely squeezed out a small bit of warm moisture. Paying attention and being surprised—what observation is for.
Photo #5 — The splash of the track paints a picture.
Snowpack
Coverage from the trailhead left us riding on ice and dirt for sections until about 7600', where consistent snow coverage began along the road. Above 7800', the snow surface was 4-6 inches of dense, somewhat damp mix of powder and graupel over top a melt-freeze crust on all aspects. Facets exist below the crust everywhere we dug. HS 16-22 inches. While snow at mid-elevations below Big Flat was damp, the wet snow seems to have already reached it's peak of activity—worth removing from the forecast tomorrow. Dropping just on the other side of Sandy Baker Pass below 8500', the snowpack dramatically changed in character: thinner coverage, lower snow heights, and more rocks to dodge.