Recent Avalanches? | Yes |
Collapsing (Whumphing)? | Yes |
Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | No |
Standard up track on Marmot SW Buttress aka Marmot ‘Butt. Beautiful fast powder skiing. Scrappy skinning conditions, excellent booting conditions. Decent canine conditions. Few signs of instability on our chosen route. Known persistent slab problem shaped our strategic mindset on this tour.
Recent Avalanches? | Yes |
Collapsing (Whumphing)? | Yes |
Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | No |
Localized whumphing on skin track in isolated areas (potentially around facet gardens associated with alders in lower elevations). Widespread natural avalanches observed from the 2/8 to very early morning of 2/10 avalanche cycle on all aspects at mid to upper elevations, with a few large avalanches near the lower elevations.
Marmot Weather Station 4500 feet. 2/16/2020
1400 11.1F E wind @ 4mph gusting to 8mph
1600 12.3F ESE @ 6mph gusting to 8mph
February sun shining bright. Bluebird. Light airs.
Settled powder on a variety of Hatcher Pass Experience Crusts/WindSlab. Settled powder (2-4 inches) from mini storm on 2/12-13. Overall ski quality high in relatively protected areas. Fast pow. 2-4in of snow available for transport in protected areas, no obvious surface hoar formation. Decomposing stellars on surface could become weak layer in next storm system.
We did not perform any formal or informal stability tests. Ski cutting on upper elevation windslabs revealed no failures (although this method is not ideal for testing persistent hard slabs).