Observation: Public
Observation Details
Name:
Enji CooperObservation Date:
January 29, 2022Submitted:
January 29, 2022Zone or Region:
Snoqualmie PassActivity:
XC Skiing/SnowshoeingLocation:
Granite/Low MountainTriggered Avalanches
Did you trigger any avalanches?
YesWas it intentional?
NoAvalanche Type:
Soft SlabSize:
Size 1: Relatively harmless to peopleElevation:
5300Aspect:
NEComments:
Triggered some touchy soft slab issues mid-afternoon along the ridge to Low Mt. The soft slab was around cornices and seemed like soft wind slabs/fetch. Broke in a semi-planar wayObserved Avalanches
Did you observe any avalanches?
YesAvalanche Type:
Wet LooseSize:
Size 4: Could destroy a railway car, large truck, several buildings, or a substantial amount of forestElevation:
5600Aspect:
SWComments:
Observed old D3.5 avalanche off the SW face of Chair Peak (by upper Melakwa Lake), starting from the upper “death gully” (SW face). The slide had gone a couple thousand feet down by the lake.Signs of Unstable Snow
Did you see shooting cracks?
Yes, IsolatedDid you experience collapsing or whumpfing?
NoObservations
Morning was firm/icy conditions. Could barely get purchase with boots off bootpack (bootpack was pure ice). Snow had softened under trees by mid-morning. Very little postholing, but some. Snow above 4.5k’ along lower ridge was difficult to purchase with crampons and ice axe spike in late morning.
Encountered a bit of fetch descending the ridge down on the east side of Denny Lake. The stuff underneath was hard freeze crust.
Snow softened up further by midday on S facing aspects. Snowshoe crampons had some difficulty biting crust underneath (kept on wanting to slide). Saw cornices on N and E face of ridge on the way around the lake and up the ridge.
The ridge had been heavily impacted by solar input. This made for excellent safe travel in the afternoon booting and using crampons.
Triggered some surface layer soft slabs with my crampons returning on ridge. Soft slabs broke in a planar manner and the issue had isolated propagation. I doubt this layer will be a long term problem with the incoming forecasted snow.
The way down to the lakeside was more punchy with crampons. The way up the ridge was slippery with snowshoes.
Did some tele-snowshoeing down the ridge back to the bootpath. Snow was very corny.
Areas below 4.3k’ which had large degree of solar input were hot garbage in the afternoon (15:00+). I was postholing extensively, sometimes straight to ground (2’). The surface snow is very sugary/smashed potatoes like.
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