Observation: Turnagain

Location: Cornbiscuit

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

Cornbiscuit west aspect to 3500’. Skied the ridge to about 3000’ and the SW aspect toward Bertha Creek to the trees for two laps.

On the morning drive, rain line was between Eddies parking lot and Tin Can parking lot.

Red Flags
Red flags are simple visual clues that are a sign of potential avalanche danger. Please record any sign of red flags below.
Obvious signs of instability
Recent Avalanches?No
Collapsing (Whumphing)?No
Cracking (Shooting cracks)?Yes
Observer Comments

Cracks, wind loaded slopes. No significant releases on test slopes.

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

Obscured and snowing a trace amount in the morning clearing to broken skies and no precip in the afternoon. Temps near freezing at the car. Winds light to moderate with gusts visibly blowing snow, and as the skies cleared the winds calmed.

Snow surface

3-5cms of new over old ski tracks at the base, higher elevations lots of spatial variability with scoured tundra, hard wind board, 20cm soft deposits and everything in between.

Snowpack

Hand pits at ~3400’ in SW aspect start zones showed spatial variability in depth between 20-30cms deep to a meter deep. Generally sugar snow at the base, a wind hardened layer in the middle and a softer layer on top. Did not find the rain crust in these hand pits.

Ski pole probing along the route consistently indicated hard over soft. SW aspects appeared to be leeward deposits and NW aspects appeared wind hardened or scoured.

No formal pits or tests.