Observation: Turnagain

Date: 20111210
Time: 1130
Observer: M. Johnson (in conjunction with the AAS Level 3 Prep Course)
Location: Tincan
Aspect: NW/340 deg.
Elevation: 1418 ft.
Slope Angle: 24 deg.
Sky Conditions: Clear in the AM, Broken in the late afternoon
Air Temp: -4.9 C
Precip Type and Rate: None
Wind: Light out of the North/10 deg.
Pen(b)=45cm
Pen(s)=25cm
Snowpack Properties: conducted a full pit profile as part of the Level 3 Prep/Observers Course with the
AAS. Stability tests results were as follows:
CT18Q3 @ 106cm from bottom
CT21Q3@ 95 cm from bottom
CT25Q3 @ 86cm from bottom
ECTN14@ 106cm from bottom
ECTN21Q3 @ 95 from bottom
PST 90cm,100cm,@36cm down Arr (same crust as above was isolated)
The test failed both above and below the rain crust from 3-4 Dec.
Avalanche Danger:
Forecast: Moderate, pockets of Considerable
Observed: Low, pockets of moderate at steep convex rollovers.
Observers Comments: limited data observed above treeline. At 1500, started run and observed the
wind increasing to moderate. Observed strong winds on top of pyramid peak and across the north side
of the turnagain arm, extent of blowing snow moderate to intense (see pic). I had good confidence in
my rating for the terrain we skied. On another note, I know that Tincan Proper and Todd’s Run were
skied today. We did not observe any windslab at mid-lower elevations.