Observation: Public

Observation Details

Signs of Unstable Snow

Observations

My observations were similar to Andy Godwin’s Worm Flows observations from the same day: a fair bit of variable depth and quality snow made for slow (and at times unpredictable) travel with snowshoes.
Ran into lower coverage zipper crust in south facing aspects up to 6.4k’ (<4”), deeper powder in leeward areas between trees under Nelson Ridge (1’~2’), and low coverage wind scoured rock and rime ice along many wind exposed areas on the ridge. The summit block had large rime ice forms present (glad I had brought my ice tool and crampons). It looked like a lot of the snow had collected and consolidated on northern aspects down in basins. Some runnel-like forms could be seen on Nelson Ridge (main/south). I wore my snowshoes on the way up, but switched to crampons on the way down to mitigate concerns with long, uncontrolled slides, since the hillside was so firm and icy in areas. Was postholing up to my thighs in deep powder in leeward areas between trees.