No obvious red flags
Observation: Turnagain
Location: Seattle Ridge
Seattle ridge north to Pyramid.
Observer Comments
Weather
Calm winds, clear skies above the fog. Temps inverted all day. Single digits at the parking lot. Teens on the ridgetop. Fog layer hung in the Pass at about 1800' for most of the day.
Snow surface
Variable. Thin wind skin in places, facets in sheltered locations and sled tracks. Lots and lots of tracks everywhere!
Rimed surface hoar on the surface between 1,000 - 1,800' given the fog layer sitting in here,
Snowpack
Dug a snowpit at 3000' on Pyramid. South aspect. 23 degree slope. HS=150cm
Failure about 4" down below wind skin on small facets. Couldn't confidently find the buried surface hoar in this pit.
Below this thin wind skin, ECTX x 3.
Was able to do some heavy boot kicks on the column and eventually get failure at the ground on 5-10mm moist facets. This was well after 30 taps from wrist/elbow/shoulder.
Temp Inversion over Turnagain Pass kept this fog bank to ~1800' all day today.
Snowpit classroom on Pyramid, 3000', South aspect.
Students wrapped up with a deep burial drill on Rookie Hill to put together all the pieces of an efficient, successful companion rescue!