Observation: Public
Observation Details
Name:
Enji CooperObservation Date:
March 6, 2021Submitted:
March 10, 2021Zone or Region:
Stevens PassActivity:
Skiing/SnowboardingLocation:
Mount Weird/Welldigger's AssSigns of Unstable Snow
Observations
Started skinning up from Yodelin around 09:15. Light snow was falling (S-1) throughout the course of the day and the wind remained calm (L). The view from Welldigger's Ass was obscured (X), but the rest of the day was mostly cloudy (BKN).
I followed the [existing] skin track up to Welldigger's Ass, limiting exposure at/near steep uphill slopes.
I didn't observe any obvious instabilities, but I didn't dig a pit or do handshear tests (only ski cuts in areas with my splitboard).
Some wind transport had blown snow into old snowshoe/boot tracks down lower, hence my suspicion of "buried evidence".
I observed some D2 instabilities over on Skyline (S/SE aspects) once the sky opened up a bit more in avalanche chutes along the PCT. I'm unsure about Lichtenberg because it was obscured.
Media
Advanced Observations
Observed Avalanche Problem #1:
Storm SlabComments:
Noted wind fetch/storm snow in leeward area on top of the summit for Welldigger's Ass (47.7695, -121.0502). Splitboard was sinking down approximately 3" at the deepest section, but on average my skis didn't sink down more than 1". Didn't observe other telltale signs like wind texturing or scouring on the summit, but recent snowfall might have hidden that evidence.Similar conditions were observed on the way up to Peak 5023, aka Mount Weird (47.7630, -121.0643), on the E-SE aspect of the summit.