Observation: Public

Observation Details

Observed Avalanches

Signs of Unstable Snow

Observations

A quiet time for avalanche activity, we enjoyed the gift of the strong local snowpack, in the absence of any deep concerns. In spite of the forecasted high freezing levels, steady N and W winds helped keep snow surfaces cool, mitigating Wet Loose potential somewhat. We observed evidence of some previous Wet Loose avalanches up to sz 2 that crossed the Harts Pass Road and buried snowmobile tracks, mainly beneath well-defined, south-facing gully features.
With an open-season mindset, we nonetheless continued to avoid exposure to cornices, both on the up and on the down. Easy enough, with a bit of group vigilance and situational awareness. The solar slopes were serving up good, supportable corn with well-timed travel. The still-transitioning snowpack translates to a relatively short window for corn, becoming less-supportable and weak fairly quickly on the steeper terrain. The NW thru NE aspects continued to hold preserved Near-Surface Facets, skiing fast and cold, with a bit of sluff-management to consider on the steeps. Surface Hoar was mainly confined to valley bottoms, but we observed it with patchy distribution in some sheltered meadows Near Treeline. Worth considering, moving forward.