Snowpack

Observation: Catherine's Pass

Greg Gagne and Erme CatinoSalt Lake
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Observation photo 1

Quick report

Aspect
North
Red Flags
Poor Snowpack Structure
Elevation
3048 m
Slope Angle

Stronger 4F/1F slab plus the October rain crust providing supportable travel. But also complicating things as it is connecting slopes and allowing a slab on top of weaker snow at the ground. First time in this area of Little Cottonwood, and could only find the October rain crust down ~45 cms (18"). Overall that the crusts haven't broken down is similar to what Mark White was reporting Thursday from Cardiac Ridge.

Of interest is that my partner Erme was able to get ECT full propagation on a layer of facets above the October rain crust in his pit, and I got full propagation in the layer of facets below.

Snowpack

HS varies from 0 cm on solar aspects to 70 cms (28") in upper elevation, wind-sheltered, northerly aspects. Overall the snowpack is roughly 15-45 cms (6-18"), and generally much closer to 30 cms (12")