Observation: Public

Observation Details

Triggered Avalanches

Observed Avalanches

Signs of Unstable Snow

Observations

Yesterday was not a wise day to go snowshoeing.
The snowpack well below treeline and under rainshadows was fairly shallow, due to precipitation input. Out in the open though (even around 2.4k'), the snowpack was considerably deeper, but not deep enough to travel safely between large boulders in fields (found a number of gaps when booting), and it was not consolidated.
Near/above treeline, the snow deepened and trail breaking became extremely tedious (snowshoe penetration was 1'~2') at best, and dangerous, at worst (it was difficult to judge how stable and how deep the snowpack was without extensive probing. I brought my glacier ice axe, but I didn't bring my probe (*sigh*).
I turned around ~800' of the summit once I got a good view of the north gully I would need to climb, saw some recent avalanches in the area, and saw the steepness of the slopes. Yesterday was _not_ the day to push things further.
Downclimbing 25' of a questionably stable snow wall required me to immediately self-arrest after I slipped and fell 5' to avoid crashing into a tree at the base of the wall. I was cursing myself for not bringing rope and a sling for down climbing, technical steel crampons, and ice tools.
Cornices (some failed, some not) were prevalent along the ridge and large (the larger ones had 3'+ deep overhangs). Tree wells were also extremely deep (3'+).