Observation: Summit

Location: Tenderfoot

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

Standard uptrack to 2700′. Getting overall sense of snowpack depth and structure. Checking out wind effect in the alpine. Did not make it high enough to find the dry basal facets that were observed above 3000′ on Summit Peak.

Red Flags
Red flags are simple visual clues that are a sign of potential avalanche danger. Please record any sign of red flags below.
Obvious signs of instability
Recent Avalanches?No
Collapsing (Whumphing)?No
Cracking (Shooting cracks)?Yes
Observer Comments

Cracking in wind stiffened snow and easy to trigger wind slabs on test slopes.
Wind transport of snow throughout the day

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

Light snowfall
Gusty NE winds
Temperatures: 36F at the parking lot, mid 20Fs at the ridge

Snow surface

1300': 2" of moist snow
2000': 4-6" of moist snow
2500': 5-8" of soft snow in protected terrain. Scouring back to crust and drifting in exposed areas
2700': Stiff wind drifted snow and rimed rain crust.

Snowpack

See photos:
Pit @ 2000': Surface snow is moist and bonding well to supportable crust below. Moist snow to ground
Pits @ 2500': HS 90 cm. Moist snow and layers of crusts and melt forms that haven't frozen (blue goo) to ground including moist rounding facets over basal crust. No notable test results in two pits on NW aspect.
Pit @2700' : HS 130 cm. W aspect, 24* slope, 1F slab over stellars on a rimed rain crust 45 cm down ECTP 13, CT 13 SC x2, CT 3 SC
Snow depth is quite variable due to wind scouring and loading.

Photos & Video
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