Observation: Summit

Location: Tenderfoot

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

Standard uptrack to the ridge to ~3300′ Skied some south-facing shots into Tenderfoot Creek.

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

Recent wind-affect - 2cm wind slabs easy to pop out just off the ridge on south-facing terrain

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

Mostly sunny, calm winds, strong temperature inversion

Snow surface

Sastrugi on the ridgetops, 2cm soft wind slab in leeward terrain extending down about 30-50 vertical feet on slopes. 2cm wind crust observed most of the way down slopes (not expected).

Snowpack

Hand pits on the uptrack revealed 8-10" new storm snow, stubborn to release on the recent BSH but clean shear. Formal pit dug in shallow area at higher elevation to assess reactivity of basal facets and slab characteristics of new wind-loaded and storm snow.

3,300', SW aspect, 25* slope
HS=70cm
ECTN19 Q3 65cm down on basal facets. Column crumbled and broke apart. New snow also crumbled, exhibiting no slab characteristics. Snowpack in pit looked horrendous but interestingly non-reactive.