Observation: Chugach State Park

Location: Glen Alps, Chugach Front Range Blueberry Knob

Date:

November 17, 2021 3:00pm

Observer:

Joe Kurtak

Route & General Observations

Followed Flattop trail from Glen Alps parking lot around the west end of Blueberry Knob, then SE along the ridgetop to the Wind Tunnel overlook.

Red Flags

Red flags are simple visual clues that are a sign of potential avalanche danger. Please record any sign of red flags below.

Observer Comments

No recent avalanches observed.

Weather & Snow Characteristics

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

Weather

Winds calm at Glen Alps parking lot. Mts to east obscured by a combination of cloud and blowing snow? At 1500 on top of Blueberry Knob was 2F with N. wind gusting to 20mph. Wind chill = -30deg= chilly

Snow surface

On flats and leeward slopes found loose snow with varying amts of surface hoar. Snow on ridgetops from last week's storm had been stripped by recent N. winds, leaving windboard and sastrugi. The Halloween storm M/F crust exposed in places. See attached pics.

Snowpack

Did not do any test pits but ski cutting on low-angle slopes resulted in shooting cracks through a 10-20cm thick wind slab overlying loose snow. See attached pic.

Photos & Video

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Blueberry Knob sastrugi

wind slab Blueberry Knob

Blueberry Knob scoured snow surface.

Glen Alps, Anchorage-19-Nov

Location

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