Observation: Turnagain

Location: Tincan Backdoor

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

Alaska Guide Collective private course broke trail not very far due to heavy heavy gloppy snow on skins and desire to get students to dig pits in a timely manner. Afternoon sunlight ended up illuminating all surrounding peaks and we weren’t able to notice any recent avalanche activity.

Weather & Snow Characteristics
Please provide details to help us determine the weather and snowpack during the time this observation took place.
Weather

Light snow tapered off around noon as skies continued to clear throughout the afternoon. Temps were right around 32, winds were calm.

Snow surface

Ski penetration was through heavy wet snow 25 cms and glopping heavily on skins. Boot pen was 65 cms.

Snowpack

Dug 5 pits at 1220' on a SE aspect up the Tincan Backdoor Route on a 13 degree slope. My first pit's ECT went on isolation above a tiny raincrust that I think at that elevation was between the two storms this week, as the NYE's eve crusts were visible just 20 cms below this particular one. ECTPV x 1, ECTP2 x 4 all on the same layer above this crust. See photos. Potentially this is merely a crust at this elevation and not found above? Curious what stability others found higher up seeing as we didn't notice any naturals.

Photos & Video
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