Observation: Public
Observation Details
Name:
Hough-Snee, Carrasco, PrimomoObservation Date:
January 18, 2022Submitted:
January 19, 2022Zone or Region:
East CentralActivity:
Skiing/SnowboardingLocation:
Icicle RidgeObserved Avalanches
Did you observe any avalanches?
YesAvalanche Type:
Wet LooseSize:
Size 2: Could bury, injure, or kill a personElevation:
3000'Aspect:
EComments:
We noted a large wet loose that broke on a steep east slope in Tumwater Canyon at 3000' (L-N-R2-D2). Multiple historic ridge to lowland paths within Icicle Canyon had run D3+ in the early January storm and ensuing warmup, from Big Slide Creek to Chatter Creek to Bootjack Mountain. High north aspects on Cashmere Mountain had recent (17-18 Jan) wet loose to D2 (L-N-R1-D2).Signs of Unstable Snow
Observations
We traveled from winter to late spring and back down to winter above the Icicle. On ascent and descent in open, cold areas we experienced 1000' of the worst trap crust any of us had ever experienced, from the fog bank downward: 2cm of water ice from the post-6 Jan storm thaw and rains. We encountered slide for life conditions on slopes as low as 10-degrees on this largely supporting, glazed water ice surface. Ski crampons were essential since booting would lead to punching through to low thigh over the ice. Solar slopes as low as 3000' were rapidly warming as early as 0900 with deep boot pen on solar aspects (S, E).
The rain and sun crusts in the near treeline are beginning to facet and will present problems upon our next snowfall, whenever that might occur. Near 6800' on sheltered aspects we found wind-buffed, cold snow, largely in dust on crust form. On solar aspects NTL, corn developed by mid-afternoon, but quickly deteriorated 1800' later to a full mush push with wet loose potential on the warm, solar aspects of the upper BTL band. We saw evidence of the recent warm temperatures on all aspects and elevations with multiple D2 slides on a variety of aspects BTL, NTL, and even ATL on north on Cashmere Mountain (8000' - multiple L-N-R1-D2).
In short, travel in the east central is challenging outside of a narrow aspect and elevation sweet spot, surface conditions are highly variable, and we have a surface setup that, while benign now, could present a challenging PWL crust/facet combination. While inversions have kept the lowland coverage robust, snowpack is waning on steep solar aspects (HS 145-160cm at 6400', E) where unseasonably warm temps have been in place for over a week.
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