Observation: Turnagain

Location: Cornbiscuit

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

Standard NW rib uptrack, following the ridge to 3600′ just before the last subpeak for Cornbiscuit. Skied the north facing couloir into Superbowl. Many of the north facing Cornbiscuit couloirs had tracks in them as well as the west face of Superbowl.

Red Flags
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Observer Comments

Steep southerlies were very warm + wet. Many rollerballs were seen on PMS bowl originating from the large cornice. Recent wet loose activity. Around 2:30pm, we got some rollerballs going down a steep southerly and they moved as unit (~2ft x ~4ft), but broke apart after sliding for about 5 feet (I had thought we were going to start a wet loose). This was adjacent to a recent wet loose path running ~1000ft starting around 3500'

Weather & Snow Characteristics
Please provide details to help us determine the weather and snowpack during the time this observation took place.
Weather

Scattered to broken skies but with thin enough clouds to be letting the sunlight through. Warm temps, but didn't measure. Mostly pleasant light breezes but with some moments of upper end light winds from the N or NW.

Snow surface

Breakable MF crust over soft snow down low. North aspects and shaded areas harbored spring pow (moist) above 1750'. Wet grains on steep southerlies (crust broken down) noted ~2pm. Corn may be ripe after a solid refreeze with adequate temps+sun. I had punched boot deep (just one step) while wearing my ski on south aspect just after 2:30pm (near an exposed rock, it most likely warmed the snow). Crusts below 2000' (western trees) had broken down by 3pm.

Snowpack

Handpit @ 2000' on a North aspect failed ~35cm down in resistant planar manner requiring a lot of force. A fair amount of tracks on steep non solar aspects.

Photos & Video
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