| Recent Avalanches? | No |
| Collapsing (Whumphing)? | Yes |
| Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | No |
Observation: Chugach State Park
Location: Chugach State Park Arctic Valley.
Toured up valley from Arctic Valley Ski Area PL. to S. frk. Eagle River saddle, then N. up ridge to just below top of Mt. Gordon Lyon. Then skied down Tequilla Bowl.
Obvious signs of instability
Observer Comments
Felt whumping in Arctic Valley bowl at 3385ft, just W. of saddle between Mt. Gordon Lyon and Rendevous Pk. Am assuming it is buried M/F layer collapsing on underlying basal facet layer.
Weather
High thin overcast for most of day. In S.frk. saddle E. winds 5-10. At 15:34 20F. No precip.
Snow surface
Loose new snow in bowl below S.Frk saddle at 3385ft. Wind board in saddle at 3468ft. Observed transport of snow via E. wind and depositon forming small cornices W. of S. frk saddle.
Snowpack
At 3497ft in bowl below S. frk Saddle total snowpack = 50cm. Did quick pit at 3497 ft on SW aspect on 24deg slope. Total snowpack = 43cm. Top down at 25cm got CT11 on rounded facet layer overlying M/F crust. ECT12PQ2 on same layer. Felt whumph in one location in bowl just W. of S. Frk saddle. Initial ski cut test at 1300 on W. facing cornice just below S. frk saddle gave no results. Return to same site at 1530 ski tracks had filled in and E. wind had loaded slope. This time around ski cuts produced SCL35W. However loaded slope had very short runout.
View looking S. across Arctic Valley bowl to Rendevous Pk from near summit of Mt. Gordon Lyon