Observation: Summit

Location: Manitoba North and Tenderfoot North

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

Toured on up the standard route on the Manitoba up to 3500′ and skied north facing chutes on 3/16. Toured up Tenderfoot to 3500′ 3/17 and skied north facing slopes. Overall observed good stability. Some sluffing on protected steep northerly terrain. Glide cracks are growing and new ones are appearing in the region.

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

Mixture of clouds and sun both days.
Temps in the 20Fs
Mostly light winds with a period of moderate ESE winds on Wednesday afternoon, enough to fill in skin tracks but no cracking or fresh wind slab formation observed on leeward ridgelines,
There were a few periods of light precipitation, graupel showers on Wednesday evening and then a light dusting of stellars fell with no wind!

Snow surface

1000'-1800' supportable to breakable crust with afternoon warming this was softening
1800'-2500' 3-6" settled powder on northerly aspects, sun crust on solar aspects, glide cracks
2500'-3500' 6-10" settled powder on northerly aspects, wind crust and wind effect, sun crusts on solar aspects. Observed some southerly slopes that have completely melted out. Stellars on the surface are so intact they almost look like surface hoar.

Snowpack

Dug one pit at 3500' on the North aspect of Manitoba. Pit was 100 cm deep. 38 degree slope. Objective was to look at the old snow new snow interface and look for wind slab. Pit was right side up. No results in stability tests, ECTX, CTN. No test slopes, ski cuts or slope testing showed any signs of instability. Sluffing on steep protected northerlies. Although much of the Alpine snow showed signs of wind effect no wind slabs were observed and no cracking along leeward ridgelines. There is some snow available for transport if the winds pick up. Observed many slope testers out in steep terrain with no signs of instability. Large cornices loom over many spots in the Alpine.

Photos & Video
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