None observed
Observation: Turnagain
Location: Wolverine (common)
Skinned up the eastern ridge of the Wolverine arena. Snow below tree line was spared from the wind event earlier this week. The ridge above tree line had been scoured on its eastern side, in many places only a couple centimeters was left on top of tundra/rock/etc. Hard and soft wind slabs were found, nothing was reactive.
Observer Comments
Weather
Persistent cloud hung in the valley, clear in the alpine. Very light wind out of the SE in the afternoon.
Snow surface
1-3 cm of new snow. Below tree line this was on top of settled powder. Above tree line on aspects exposed to the week's wind event (eastern-ish) it was found on top of wind slabs ranging from soft (collapse beneath ski) to hard (skier supportable). On leeward aspects of the ridge (generally west) settled powder was preserved.
Snowpack
Pit #1: 1,600' facing 15deg North at 26deg incline
101 cm of total snow
ECTP26 Q2, sudden failure 27cm from ground at interface of 1F/P. My best guess is this was poor bonding at a rain event.
Depth [cm] Hardness
3 F
6 4F
60 1F
2 P
25 1F
Pit #2 2,900' facing 341deg North at 24deg incline
180 cm of total snow
ECTX
Depth [cm] Hardness
10 F
1 P
5 F
15 1F
35 P
1 P (rain crust?)
25 P
Pit #1: Hardness Profile
Pit #1: Failed Slab
Pit #2: Hardness