Observation: Public

Observation Details

Signs of Unstable Snow

Observations

Two days of travel near the pass found mostly good-to-great skiing and encountered very little ski-triggered instability. Travel was primarily on W and N slopes, including substantially open terrain. A small pocket of 15cm hard windslab released on a skintrack corner Saturday. Sheltered open slopes skied well Saturday, truly open slopes skied well Sunday. The tracks and conversations of others suggested similar experiences were widespread. If any deep instability continues to lurk, everyone was lucky-enough to miss the trigger point.

Snowpack: Skied like right-side up crushed velvet. Boot-top ski penetration at most elevations. A zipper suncrust limited faceshots Sunday. A party we encountered wisely digging into the snow before committing to open terrain found ECTN27 on a weakness 60cm down at an upper-elevation N-facing site. Creek crossings are finally becoming passable, but may get flushed again Tuesday.

Avalanche: Small natural crowns of indeterminate age were apparent near ridgelines above 6000'. The possibility of loose-wet activity was a moderate concern for us in Sunday's sun, but none seemed to materialize. Of note going into the warm storm-cycle ahead: The Big Chief glide crack continues to creep, perhaps evolving from brown-frown to brown-mustache (see photo).