Observation: Hatcher Pass

Location: East Presidents and Fairangel

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

Started snomo skiing east presidents then skinned up above fairangel mine.

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

Clear and getting cold. Really cold in the dark.

Snow surface

Cold and slow

Snowpack

Dug a pit on east presidents and it was a weird one. Maybe 16" of new snow on a hard wind crust. Crust was maybe 3-4" thick then below that just sugar to 4-5 feet. But as we dug the pit the sugar poured out from under the wind crust layer, so by the time we cut the block loose it was overhanging air. Once cut the block settled, but didn't really move. Did a ECT and and the upper new snow layers just compressed to 16, then finally the block moved a little but just resettled. Not until 26 did the block actually compress, but never cleaved. No propagation.

Later in the day decided to skin above Fairangel, actually skied the face below where that sledder caused a slide, but we were out of the area by then. We skinned up the gully and noticed no instability. There was less snow, and a weak sun crust below the new snow.