Observation: Hatcher Pass

Location: Lost Couloir

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

Toured to the base of the Lost from Independence parking lot, lots of massive boulders still fully exposed at the bottom of the curtain. Skinned the curtain and some of the bottom of the couloir before switching over to boot. The new snow would have been a lot more fun if there was a base. Thin is not in. Go where you know it’s tundra underneath.

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

Light made it difficult to figure out everything I was looking at. Did see small slides on the Arkose ridge side of the river

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

Overcast with standard horrendous Hatcher flat light. 28* at the car, light wind, very light and short snow flurries

Snow surface

Variable snow in the couloir but provided decent skiing. Skinned 1/4 up the couloir before booting. Booting went from waist deep wallowing to kicking boots through hard wind buff. Curtain had beautiful new powder, but not enough to cover the sharks. Ski pen in the valley about 5 inches of nice powder.

Snowpack

~4,000ft ne aspect
HS 165-175
ECTN 15 about 35cm down