Observation: Chugach State Park

Location: Northside of McHugh Peak

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

We toured up alongside Rabbit Creek to access the north face of McHugh Peak. The end of Canyon Road (as of the afternoon on December 12th) has not been plowed. So much fresh snow!

Red Flags
Red flags are simple visual clues that are a sign of potential avalanche danger. Please record any sign of red flags below.
Obvious signs of instability
Recent Avalanches?No
Collapsing (Whumphing)?Yes
Cracking (Shooting cracks)?No
Observer Comments

We observed several loud whumphs when we were down in heavily vegetated areas alongside Rabbit Creek on our approach and decent.

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

Overcast skies, flat light, heavy snow precipitation (between 1 to 2 inches per hour), no wind

Snow surface

Light, low-density fresh snow over 12" deep for the majority of our tour.

Snowpack

Over 12" of new snow on top of a stout supportable Thanksgiving crust.

Location: McHugh Peak, right about the treeline
Elevation: 2,500'
Aspect: North
Slope: 26 degrees
Tests: We did not conduct any tests on our tour.

Photos & Video
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