None observed.
Observation: Hatcher Pass
Location: Gold Cord Peak
Toured up the south ridge of Gold Cord Peak to look for buried surface hoar and compare depths on windward and leeward aspects. No signs of instability observed. Recycled powder ski quality is extremely high, but a generally thin, rocky snowpack on windward aspects is hard on the skis.
Observer Comments
Weather
Cold! In spite of temperatures in the low teens today, a NE wind was strong enough to make for a very chilly tour. Cloud cover to the south increased from few to scattered throughout the day.
Snow surface
Sparse intact stellars were sparkling on the surface, but no measurable accumulation. The surface snow continues to facet rapidly under cold temperatures.
Snowpack
Dug two pits. Found an extremely faceted snowpack, with remarkably rotten basal facets, and yet the only indications of propagation potential came from sudden planar and sudden collapse fracture character in CTs, with no propagation in ECTs.
Pit 1: Death Traverse, E Aspect, 4190', 23* Slope. HS= 90 cm. CTN, ECTX. Nearly the entire snowpack is 4F facets or softer at this location. Able to easily plunge my entire arm into the basal facets below the melt freeze crust (penetrARMeter test?)
Pit 2: Gold Cord Peak, WSW Aspect, 4452', 30* Slope. HS= 105-110 cm. CT 21 SC down 38 cm on graupel. CT 22 SC and 23 SP down 40 cm on near surface facets. ECTN17 down 35 cm all under a stiff old wind slab.
CT 20 SC down 80 cm on 2mm facets & 9mm decomposing BSH above the rain crust, CT 27 SP down 80 cm on 3mm chained facets in 9mm chains below the rain crust.
Pit 1: Death Traverse, E Aspect, 4190', 23* Slope. HS= 90 cm. CTN, ECTX
Pit 2: Gold Cord Peak, WSW Aspect, 4452', 30* Slope. HS= 105-110 cm
9mm buried surface hoar found in Pit 2 near a rain crust
Pit 2 location on Gold Cord Peak's south ridge