Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Cracking, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Mostly dealing with new snow only to the ground but anywhere there was old snow underneath, new snow was reactive. Lots of cracking and stress cracks shooting a fair distance. Between lack of slope angle and still lots of anchors, nothing was moving. Up higher, there was a bit more wind effect to the snow. Definitely had a more dense, slabby feel to it. </p>
Nice to see a descent amount of snow (at least for BCC) but the biggest problem today was still coverage. We stuck to slopes wth enough south in them that bottom feeding was an issue. Then there was the exit from hell through unskiable sage and lumber. Photos are of cracking and stress web cracking on our up.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Not an issue where we were today as slope angles and/or plenty of anchors made it impossible for storm slab to get moving. I imagine in places where there is old snow, no anchors and the right pitch, it'd be easy to get things going. I'd be surprised if there wasn't a natural avi cycle late afternoon & overnight in places. I put same for the trend but a night of settling should lessen how reactive the storm slab was. That said, I wouldn't trust it anywhere over 32 degrees with old snow. </p> <p>Winds were nuking enough to definitely affect the snow up high, although didn't encounter any wind slabs. Where we hit the ridge was sheltered enough. I'm sure there were plenty off any wind exposed ridges. </p>
12" at the trailhead, increasing to around15" in protected areas up near the ridge. That said, not many areas protected from the wind up high.