During course of tour skies were mostly clear and winds light. At 2:30 Glen Alps weather station showed 16deg with winds WSW@3. By 4:00 clouds were moving in from the east.
Observation: Chugach State Park
Location: Glen Alps - Blueberry Knoll, Chugach Front Range
Skied SE from Glen Alps PL through the meadows area and along the base of NE aspect of Blueberry knoll. Then over top of knoll and back along NW aspect to the GA PL. No sign of recent avalanches in my view shed. Saw fresh ski tracks in loose snow in bowl below False Pk on the north side of Powerline Valley. No sign of any avalanches released by skiers. Did encounter small area of cornice break debris on W aspect of Blueberry. Some nice turns in loose snow in lower elevations protected by hemlock groves.
Weather
Snow surface
In the mdws area in protected spots had 50cm snowpack with upper 35cm consisting mostly loose faceting steller crystals. Under that 15cm of 1F rounds. Ski pentration 10cm. Above 2600ft Ridge tops were teeth rattling windboard on all aspects (pic).
Snowpack
Did quick pit at 2450ft on the NEaspect of Blueberry Knoll in protected site. SA = 20deg, HS = 50cm. Top down 50-40 = F faceting steller crystals. 40-20 4F faceting rounds, 20-0 = 1F rounds. CT17 to ground. ECTN@25 to ground. Ski penetration 10cm. Seems the majority of the loose snowpack was going through the faceting process. Did encounter small area of cornice break debris estimated 2ft thick on W aspect of Blueberry just above the trail (pic). Flattop snowpack smostly wind hammered but no sign of recent avalanches (pic).
NWaspectFlattop
cornicebreak debisNWaspectBlueberry knoll.
SastrugiwindboardBlueberryKnollLookingSouth