Observation: Girdwood

Field Observations
Jan.6, 2015

Route
Upper Crow Creek road to Raggedtop bowl

Weather
Temps: low 20’s F
Wind: calm
Skis: clear
Precip: none

Obvious Signs Of Instability
Recent Avalanches-NO
Shooting Cracks-NO
Collapsing – NO

Surface Obs – We found surface hoar growing on all aspects and elevations of our tour.
1000′ – 5-8mm surface hoar on 1” crust on 2″ of old snow on ground
2000′ – 4-6mm surface hoar on 3” of decomposing fragments w/ some near surface faceting. (HS ≈1.5′)
3000′ – 3-5mm surface hoar widespread on all surfaces. Variable surface conditions w/ scoured ridge,
Southwest aspects P+ hard windslab surface and Northern aspects with P to 1F windslab surface.

Snow Below the Surface:
Snowpack varied from 2-4′ on leeward aspects and 10″-2′ on windward aspects. Well developed facets
were found on ground in shallow areas of the snowpack. No buried surface hoar was found at the 3000′. Snow was more wind deposited on Northern aspects, however we did see scouring at higher
elevations on Northern and Eastern aspects. The broad NW ridge we ascended was mostly scoured to old
snow and “anti-tracks.” Western aspects were thinner (could see tall grass through thin snowpack,) depths
varied from 90cm near ridge to 35 cm below convexity of ridge. We didn’t’ venture too far onto steep
windward aspects due to a supportable pencil hard windslab on a shallow snowpack with basal facets.

Pit at 3000′ on Northern aspect, leeward aspect of ridge. HS=110cm, slope 30*, no obvious weak layer
found above crust layers. Some rounds transforming into facets were found on the ground. ECTX (See
photo)

Pit at 2950′ on SW aspect, windward aspect of ridge. HS=35cm, slope 34*, 10 -15cm layer facets (2-3mm)
on ground. No test preformed due to shallow snowpack. (See photo)