Observation: Hatcher Pass

Location: Lower Eldorado

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

 

Travelled up lower Eldorado. No recent avalanches. No cracking, collapsing, or whumping observed. Overall, good stability. Find the facets, find the goods!

 

 

Red Flags
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Observer Comments

No obvious signs of instability. No significant change in temp, wind, or precipitation this week.

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

No new snow in an eternity.
Winds mild to moderate this week, reaching gusts of 18 mph 3/21. Landscape looks like winds were stronger than recorded.
Temps have warmed up this week, low of -1 deg.F, high of 30 deg. F, averaging 12 deg. F at 3550'.
3/23 temps: High of 17 deg. F at 1300 at 4050'

Snow surface

Super variable. Patchy old wind slab 1-4" thick, thin suncrust <1" thick, facets galore, sastrugi, more facets, hardpack. Significant 2-3mm NSF's under surface crusts.

Snowpack

see pit
Deep facets and depth hoar at ground are taking more force to fail.
Upper old wind slab failing on isolation in locations, but not propagating. This layer is patchy and not widespread.

Photos & Video
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