None observed
Glide cracks are worth noting and avoiding
Observation: Turnagain
Location: Cornbiscuit
SW skin track to 2700′ on Cornbiscuit ridge
Continuing to inventory presence and reactivity of the MLK buried surface hoar
Observer Comments
Weather
Partly to mostly cloudy with high overcast skies
No precip
Light winds
Temps in the 20Fs
Snow surface
4-8" of low density powder snow starting to facet
Small surface hoar growing on top (2-5mm)
Snowpack
Dug pits at 2000' and at 2400'
Pit # 1 @ 2000'
HS: 130
34*
N aspect
MLK BSH 30 cm down intermixed with melt-forms (no test results)
Two melt-freeze crusts above (see photo)
CT 23 x 2 ECTN23 on the top of the upper melt-freeze crust in decomposing precip particles starting to facet
Pit # 2 @ 2400'
HS=170cm,
24* slope,
W aspect
2mm BSH (1/28/19) down 30cm - CT22
MLK BSH down 40cm - CT25, CT14, ECTP17, ECTX
Also found two other layers of buried surface hoar, no results:
2mm BSH down 13cm between new/old snow (2/3/19) interface
3mm BSH (likely Xmas) down 80cm (translucent and decomposing)
Pit # 3 @ 2440'
HS: 170
32*
W aspect
MLK BSH 45 cm down. No CT results. PST 75/100 end 45 cm down.
Stability test results continue to be fairly inconclusive and variable but the MLK layer is continues to be a layer of concern at this point. The snowpack structure is poor in the mid-elevation band.
MLK buried surface hoar Yellow Flags/Lemons (4 or 5 flags correspond to weak structure)
• Weak Layer Grain Size >1 mm - YES
• Weak Layer Hardness 0.5 mm - YES
• Interface Hardness Difference >1 Step - YES
• Interface 20-85cm Deep -YES
Pit #1 @ 2000' MLK BSH and melt-freeze crusts above
Sluffing on Magnum
PMS Bowl and glide cracks
Magnum glide cracks and cornices
Loose snow avalanche back towards Super Bowl
Surface conditions: recent snow becoming faceted with new surface hoar developing on the surface
Lipps glide cracks
Petes North glide crack
Southern end of Seattle Ridge with old avalanche debris
Pit # 2 @ 2400'