Observation: Chugach State Park

Location: Ptarmigan Peak, North Face, Bottom of S-couloir

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

From Power-line trail, up the bench below Ptarmigan’s North Face, across the boulder field and into the bottom of S-couloir.

Red Flags
Red flags are simple visual clues that are a sign of potential avalanche danger. Please record any sign of red flags below.
Observer Comments

Nothing observed

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

High winds, no precip, warm 32F.

Snow surface

The surface was a mix of scoured rock, scoured old melt-freeze crusts, and more recently deposited wind slab.

Snowpack

No formal tests were performed. Hand sheer tests showed a softish slab with poor bonding to the snow beneath (where there was snow beneath it). Collapsing/whumphing of the wind deposits was expected but not observed.