Observation: Turnagain

Route:
Magnum parking lot to 3100’ on Corn Biscuit.

Weather:
Mostly sunny above 1500’. Low fog bank persisted at the road elevation up to
about 1500’. Winds were light from the North and West all day. Temperatures in
the mid-20’s at ridgetops.

Obvious Signs of Instability:
Recent avalanches – Very small wind slab appears to have been triggered
yesterday from cornice break on Magnum ridge.
Collapsing – NO
Cracking – NO

Snow surface conditions:
Small surface hoar extends from valley bottoms to ~2500′. (2-4 mm in size)
800-1,500′: very little snow (0″ – 6″ patchy). We hiked to 1,600′ through alder and
snow-free Forest before putting skis on.
1,600′ – 2,500′: 2-4″ of loose faceting snow over a 2-4″ supportable crust. Boot
penetration breaks through supportable crust into moist snow.
2,500′ and above: 4-6″ of loose faceting snow over several supportable melt-freeze
crusts in the upper half of the snowpack.

Plenty of potential for loose, surface snow to kick up into shallow wind slabs
though winds never quite kicked up enough today, thankfully!
Old glide first observed on 1/13 released sometime in the last week. See photos
below of a substantial debris pile that ran to the valley floor (Bertha creek).

Snowpack Obs:
Poked in at 3100’ (HS= 160cm or 63”) on a southwest aspect of Corn Biscuit. 4-6”
of loose facets. Several melt-freeze crusts in the top
24” of the snowpack. Found buried surface hoar layer at 30” down but it was un-
reactive in snowpit tests. Likely insulated by several layers of strong snow above.
ECTX. CT21 @ 20’ down, just below a 2mm ice lens. Bottom half of the pack is a
1F slab to the ground. Strength = Good. Energy = Low. Structure = Fair.

The winds appear to have spared our surface snow for another day. Really good
skiing to be had above 2500’ with 4-6” of powder on a supportable crust.