| Recent Avalanches? | No |
| Collapsing (Whumphing)? | No |
| Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | Yes |
Observation: Hatcher Pass
Location: Telemint Glacial Valley
Started tour at 7am at Gold Mint trailhead and walked about 7 miles on Gold Mint trail before turning off to the east to ascend the headwall leading into the valley formed by Telemint Glacier. Throughout the morning surface conditions were nice with dry, low density snow from the storm last Monday and Tuesday. Surface hoar observed in Telemint valley but not anywhere else. Once the sun rose high temps increased, once we were back in gold mint valley all the dry snow had started to develop a crust and became heavy and wet. Nice and sunny all day with little to no winds.
Obvious signs of instability
Observer Comments
Skied into a small protected gully on the valley head wall and found a pocket of a protected soft slab consisting of the snow from the storm last week sitting on top of a melt-freeze crust. As I inched into the gully to investigate conditions my skis made contact with the soft slab and a ~5ft long crack shot out. Abandoned the gully without triggering a slide but skiing through that gully would definitely cause a release with high consequence due to many rocks and boulders downhill.
Weather
Sunny, no wind, 18F at car @7am, 38f at car @3:30pm, 16F at pit location.
Snow surface
Dry powder on top of either a melt-freeze crust or wind slab, turning to wet snow as the day progressed.
Snowpack
Dug a quick pit @3500' on a West aspect. CT24 ~50cm down. Total plainer fracture, moderate energy, moderate propagation potential.
Views of Mint Glacier
Telemint Glacier Valley
Valley South of Telemint