Old natural dry loose avalanches (sluffs) along the steep SW aspects of Eddies. Skier triggered long running, energetic sluffing from turns on steeper slopes. Sluffing was entraining snow on its descent.
Observation: Turnagain
Location: Tincan
Ascended the standard uptrack to the Tincan ridgeline to look into the structure and surface conditions in the alpine, near Todd’s Run.
Observer Comments
Weather
1100 at Tincan pullout: 1 F, clear skies, calm winds, no precipitation
1215 at 2700': few clouds mixed with obscured skies and freezing fog, light southerly winds, light freezing fog
1330 at 3500': -2 F few clouds, light southerly winds, no precipitation
1430 at Tincan pullout: 7 F, few clouds, calm winds, no precipitation
Snow surface
4-5 inches of low density snow blankets the surface up to Common Bowl. This total includes ~1" that appears to have fallen last night. Above Common Bowl on the ridgeline the new snow has been scoured away in places and the surface hoar from around Jan. 21 is visible. Some wind effect seen on Northerly aspects around 3500'.
Snowpack
At ~2700' around 1.5' of snow sits on top of a stout melt freeze crust. This snow is around 4-5 inches of low density new snow and the remaining snow is old and faceted.
At ~3500' on a NE aspect we dug around 20' below ridgeline in a thinner, more scoured location. We found both of our layers of concern, the New Years BSH 14" below the surface and basal facets near the ground. We also found the Jan. 21 BSH around 3" below the surface. Test results: ECTN30 down 14" on New Years BSH. Utilizing shovel shear on the column after the ECT concluded, the column sheared across in a planar fashion under moderate force on basal facets sitting on top of a decomposing melt freeze crust.
Snow Pit at 3500'
We watched two skiers descend Tincan Proper, initiating long running sluffs on each turn
Small cornices have formed above Hippy Bowl
The Jan 21 BSH is now exposed on the surface from scouring along the ridgeline above Common Bowl on SW aspects.
Snow pit location on NE aspect at ~3500' on ridgeline between Hippy Bowl and Todd's Run
1 cm intact Jan. 21 BSH visible on pit wall 3" down
~1.5' of snow sits over a stout melt freeze crust at ~2700'. The top 4-5" is newer light density snow and the remaining snow below is fist to 4F facets.
Hardness Profile at 3500' on Tincan NE Aspect