Observation: Public

Observation Details

Signs of Unstable Snow

Observations

Toured and skied in the Silverstar Creek area today. Freezing rain from Early Winters to Varden Creek on ride in, then turned to ice pellets. Maybe 1" of new snow on road. While on climb we encountered a zone approximately 300 vertical feet from ridge where we observed several shooting cracks off of our skin track. This area had been and was still being wind affected by up canyon winds from Southeast. One or two cracks propagated 10-12'. This sub ridge to main ridge was burned during the Cedar Cr. fire and was previously sheltered by trees. Established skin track was mostly buried by windblown snow in this area. No whumphing was noted on climb. On descent, we were able cut some shallow dry snow sluffs on steeper terrain that ran up to 100', then would hang up in the trees. 29 degrees at highway when we returned to our snow machines.