Some sporadic wind loading from NE in the alpine. No instabilities noticed on the descent.
Observation: Turnagain
Location: Eddie's
Standard uptrack to 2,500′. Deep trail breaking. No collapsing or cracking observed by us, but another group experienced a collapse down low in the alders.
Observer Comments
Weather
Warm! Right around freezing at the truck at 9:30 am, mid-20's in alpine, above freezing at truck at 3 pm. Calm winds below tree line, NE winds 5-15 mph in alpine, some loading on the "peak" coming from NE and SE. Sucker holes here and there. Nice day!
Snow surface
About 2 feet of new snow from the most recent storm cycle. Creamier down low, still nice and fluffy up high. Settling nicely.
Snowpack
Pit at 2,100' - NW aspect, 32* slope
HS = 177 cm
ECTN18 25 cm down - Interface between most recent storms. Surface snow sloughed off.
ECTP23 70 cm down - Q3 failure on old wind slab ~3 cm thick, 1F hard.
ECTX on facets/melt-freeze layer at the base of the snowpack, as described yesterday. We were able to get it to fail after 4 Chuck Norris punches and 3 Ninja kicks to the column.
We were surprised at the lack of reactivity, given recent storm and wind loading and the extent of warming. We found some steeper (40*) slopes on descent through trees to test - no movement, just deep powder.
Wind effect in the alpine