No Cracking, collapsing or observed releases.
Localized sluff on steeper terrain
Cornices are touchy along hippy bowl Ridgeline
Observation: Turnagain
Location: Tincan-Above Treeline
10:00-3:00pm
Standard approach towards Tincan alpine. Conducted instability tests adjacent the Ridgeline between Hippy Bowl and Common uptrack at 3,100ft and received no alarming results. Clear, calm with a valley fog (1,200-1,800ft) that persisted through all of Turnagain Pass with temperatures between -15°C to -9°C. Great surface conditions above 2,500ft with an almost non-existent MF crust found at 3,000ft.
Observer Comments
Weather
Clear Skies with a lingering cool, valley fog (1,200ft-1,800ft)
No Precip
Calm
-15°C @ 1,000 ft (10am)
-17°C @ 2,000 ft
-9°C @ 3,500 ft
Snow surface
2-10mm Surface Hoar in exposed and sheltered terrain from 1,200ft-3,100ft
Below surface approx 5cm down, Near-surface facets (.5-1mm) have developed up to 3,100ft.
A MF crust, pencil hardness, was present, notably from 1,000 ft to 2,200ft with 5-10cm of decomposing/NSF above.
Wind loading was visible within common and hippy bowl, with touchy cornices getting larger.
Trees and alders maintained their accumulation.
Ski/Boot pen: 20/40cm
Snowpack
In general, my focus was to assess upper-snowpack reactivity in the alpine after this recent drop in temperature.
I received no results in large column tests and many planar fractures within new/old interfaces on small column tests.
Overall, strong structure, moderate strength, and moderate propagation propensity within the first 120cm (of 275cm).
I still believe this is false stability as our main layer of concern is 3-8'ft below especially with the consistent, cool temps and receiving results on preserved decomposing PP up to 50cm down.
Leads me to believe that there is still a strong temp gradient within the snowpack lower down (BSH/advanced faceting).
*See Hardness Profile and SnowPilot for Details*
SnowPilot @ 3,100 ft, W Aspect
Rimed Surface Hoar-10mm @ 2,500ft