Observation: Turnagain

Route:
DOT lot to 2,000 on Snowmachine up-track.

Weather:
37 degrees at parking lot and steady, moderate rain all day.
Winds were moderate and variable though just began to pick up late in the
afternoon.

Obvious Signs of Instability:
Recent avalanches: None observed beyond well-documented Glides across the
forecast zone, see previous observations.
Collapsing: No
Cracking: No

Surface Obs:
1000′: 8-10″ Very wet (and getting wetter) saturated pockets of snow but mostly
bare ground (snow-free) at this elevation.
1000′: 2000′: 8″ – 2′ of very wet, saturated, isothermal snow. Snain was in and out
at the 2,000′ elevation mark.
2200′ – 2500’: Didn’t quite make it to the rain/ snow line today but it appeared to
be around this elevation.

Without sugar-coating it, it’s nasty out there at lower elevations. Today was a full-
on rubber rain gear type of day. We did glass some start zones further South
(Magnum, Corn Biscuit, Lipps, Pete’s North and South) and they do have a very
fat, pasted-on look in that typical Chugach/ Kenai mountains fashion. Winter does
exist in these upper elevations and I imagine surface conditions are quite good.
Given current and forecasted weather though, it’ll be difficult to travel into the
upper elevations until this storm subsides.