No cracking, collapsing or whumpfing today. Did see several older avalanches that likely released mid storm (11/30 or 12/1) within Lynx Creek drainage.
Observation: Turnagain
Location: Lynx Creek
Johnson Pass Trailhead to Lynx Creek drainage. Note: Johnson Pass TH is not plowed as of 12/5.
Observer Comments
Weather
Fog layer persisted thru the day at the road elevation. Cold and clear above. Light winds, and no precip. Snowing lightly this afternoon as we got back to parking lot ~3p.
Snow surface
Breakable rain crust from highway to about 2500'.
20cm of low density fluff on top of four finger slab. Not super deep but high quality pow once above the crust (~2500').
Snowpack
Loc: Lynx Creek. Ele: 3,180'. Asp: west. Slope:15 deg
HS = 60-160cm the two locations I dug.
ECTN22 on buried surface hoar down 50cm.
Several 1F denser (wind) slabs below, then 1-2mm facets at the base of the pack. These were loose and mostly dry. Facet layer comprises bottom 10cm of snowpack. Did not test the facets in the snowpit but terrain progression and lots of small slope tests had us on steeper terrain by days end without consequence.
D3 avalanche likely released mid-storm. Crown seen in the sun just below ridgeline.
Avalanche likely released mid-storm (Mon/ Tues). Back of Lynx Creek, lookers left.
Snow pit at 3,200'. HS= 160cm. Generally a right side up snowpack. BSH found 50cm down, but unreactive in an ECT.
1-2mm Facets definitely exist at the base of the pack in this zone.
Surface conditions at 3,000'. And a view North looking over the fog bank sitting in Turnagain Pass.
Our playground! Chugach National Forest. photo: Trav N'osev