| Recent Avalanches? | No |
| Collapsing (Whumphing)? | Yes |
| Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | No |
Observation: Hatcher Pass
Location: The Independence Mill below 900 ft Portal / Tramway
Toured around the Gold Chord area, the old Independence Mill, and water tunnel, below 900 ft portal/tramway.
Obvious signs of instability
Observer Comments
Two large whumps, one as we were exiting back down our skin track.
Weather
Overcast->Broken->Overcast
Light winds
Light snow in the morning, no precipitation in the afternoon
Temperatures in the 20s F
Snow surface
1" of new low density snow over settled powder. On NE aspects the 1" of new snow was on top of a 1" wind crust.
Snowpack
We dug pits in 3 locations.
Location 1: 3626' 20 degree slope, E aspect.
- Pit 1: HS= 90 cm. CT20 SC down 76 cm on 2 mm basal facets. ECTX x 2 but this could have been influenced by a small willow in the basal facets.
- Pit 2: HS=100 cm. CT22 SC and ECTP28 down 95 cm in 2 mm basal facets.
- Persistent weak layers found: facets above melt freeze crust and 2mm basal facets below melt freeze crust. No buried surface hoar (BSH) found.
Location 2: 3734'. NE Aspect. 26 degree slope.
- Pit 1: HS=90 cm. CT23 SC down 65 cm on 2.5 mm basal facets. ECTX.
- Pit 2: HS=105 cm. CT18 SC and ECTP21 down 90 cm on 2.5 mm basal facets. ECTP13 down 80 cm on 2.5mm facets right under the MFC. ECTP 31 & 32 (outside of test parameters) down 65-70 cm on 9mm BSH and facets right above the MFC.
-Persistent weak layers found: 2.5 mm basal facets and 9mm BSH and facets right above the MFC.
Location 3: 3734', S aspect, 26 degree slope.
- Pit 1: CT14 SP down 45 cm on 3 mm basal facets. CTN. ECTX.
Propagation potential found on 3 different layers in location 2- basal facets, facets right below melt freeze crust, and buried surface hoar and facets right above melt freeze crust
9 mm buried surface hoar
1 inch wind crust under 1 inch of new snow found on NE aspects . All other aspects had soft new snow at the surface.