No signs of instability observed during tour
Observation: Hatcher Pass
Location: April Bowl
Toured up bennet’s ridge to top of Hatch Peak for laps down April Bowl. Wind transported snow observed along ridgetops from SE winds developing around noon.
Observer Comments
Weather
Overcast. ~29*F. Moderate SSE winds at ridge tops with enough speed to create light snow transport.
Snow surface
Below 3600' - firm melt-freeze crust in the morning, turning to soft by afternoon.
Above 3600' - fist hard settled powder on north aspects. 1cm knife hard melt-freeze crust on south aspects (observed along Hatch peak ridge)
Snowpack
Numerous hand pits along tour up bennet's ridge showed ~16" of settled powder (right side up) sitting on top of the ice layer and showed good bonding to the ice layer.
One formal pit dug in April Bowl near ridgeline: see photos for pit info. Above ice layer, snow was right side up, transitioning from fist to 4F to 1F. Below the ice layer snow transitioned from 1F below the ice layer to 1F- at the ground.
test results: ETCX
elevation: 4720'
aspect: 350* NNW
slope angle: 42*
HS: 95cm
April Bowl snow pit profile
April bowl snowpit