Recent Avalanches? | Yes |
Collapsing (Whumphing)? | Yes |
Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | Yes |
Standard uptrack to the top of Common bowl. Checking out stability after the storm. Looking for the presence of buried surface hoar under the 12/31 storm snow, and the effect of the high winds at upper elevations.
Recent Avalanches? | Yes |
Collapsing (Whumphing)? | Yes |
Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | Yes |
Multiple shallow (10-30cm) small natural storm slab avalanches observed from 2000' and up. Most looked to have slid during storm and had some new snow on top. Some without new snow in terrain below Hippy Bowl and some small wind slabs in Hippy bow.
Small slabs in steep terrain along gullies and rollovers below 2000' near uptrack.
Crowns observed and small debris piles into Todds
Few shooting cracks observed, primarily in upper elevation band, above 2300' primarily in wind loaded areas.
Collapsing observed later in the day below 1500' skiing down.
One new glide release on Seattle Ridge south towards Bertha Creek parking.
Three natural avalanches (two Kern paths and one Petersen path) observed along the Seward Highway in between Girdwood and the Portage turn-off.
Clear-few sky
Trace Precip (NO-S-1)
Temps in the low 30s
Calm Winds
Soft new snow/settled powder with some rimed particles
approx 12" new snow - lower elevations
approx 20" new snow - mid elevations
Ski pen approx 4-6" above 2500'
Transport and wind effected noted near and above treeline.
Primarily evaluated the existence and reactivity of the buried surface hoar layer. We found the distinct presence of surface in every elevation band besides our highest point, in which we did have a layer change but could not find surface hoar particles.
BSH depth @ 1000' -30cm
Test Pit #1- Tincan uptrack - 1500' - NW Aspect
BSH down 35cm
ECTN20 down 35cm on BSH
ECTP29 down 35cm on BSH
Test Pit #2- Tincan Above Treeline - 2713' - W Aspect - HS:290cm
BSH down 55cm
ECTN28 down 10cm
ECTN20 down 55cm on BSH
Test Pit #3- Upper Tincan - 3000' - SW Aspect - HS:185cm
CTN
ECTN10 down 10cm
ECTP21 down 30cm
BSH down 35cm - 1500'
Hand Hardness - 1500'. Soft snow above and below buried surface hoar
BSH down 55cm - 2700'
BSH down 30cm - below 1500'
Very small natural natural avalanche near skin track Tincan Trees
Natural avalanches below Hippy Bowl
Seattle Ridge Wind Effect
Natural avalanche in one of the Petersen slide paths between Girdwood and the Portage turn-off
Natural avalanche in one of the Kern slide paths between Girdwood and the Portage turn-off
Hippy Bowl with recent wind slabs
Glide avalanche on Seattle near Bertha Creek
Wind effect on the north facing slopes of Sunburst