Observation: Turnagain

Location: Goldpan

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

Traveled up Bertha Creek to goldpan.

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

Clear and cold, thankfully not too windy but when we did get some wind it was very chilly. At the ridgeline there was enough wind to transport snow but otherwise we didn't see much wind loading.

Snow surface

There was about 10 cm of new snow on top of 10 cm of melt freeze crust at the surface. We found that the crust was variable and thinner at lower elevations. With the new snow covering the ice it was a little harder to see where the crust would be breakable and where it would be very firm.

Snowpack

Dug a few pits along the way at 2600' and 3400'. At 2600' on a W aspect we found the facets buried 70cm and 20cm thick above the Halloween crust. The layer was not reactive in our ECT and it was one finger harness throughout the layer. At 3400' we found no evidence of a faceted weak layer. The snowpack was very strong overall and there were a few notable layers of melt freeze in the upper 50 cm that were likely formed during the recent warm temps and rain.

Photos & Video
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