Pro Field Report

Basic Information

Observation Details

Observation Date:
February 6, 2022
Submitted:
February 7, 2022
Observer:
SAC - VandenBos (off duty)
Zone or Region:
Galena Summit and Eastern Mtns
Location:
Trail Creek/Lake Creek Divide (6,200-10,400', all aspects)

Signs of Unstable Snow

Recent Avalanches? 
None Observed
Cracking? 
Isolated
Collapsing? 
Isolated
Cracking and collapsing occurred in stiff wind drifts and slabs along upper elevation ridgelines where they sat on stacks of weak facets. Stability rating does a poor job describing lingering persistent slab problems.

Snow Stability

Stability Rating: 
Very Good
Confidence in Rating: 
Moderate
Stability Trend: 
Steady

Bottom Line

The presence of October snow at the base of the snowpack continues to influence my terrain selection in this zone. In areas without this snow, very small and isolated wind slabs were the only avalanche-related problem I encountered.

Advanced Information

Weather Summary

Cloud Cover:
Mostly Sunny
Wind:
Light , N

The day started out cold (inverted) and partly to mostly cloudy above the Pioneer and Boulder Mountains. Bands of moisture in the form of clouds slid over the mountains from the N/NE, producing some nice lenticular cloud caps. Cloud covered decreased through the morning hours, eventually clearing by around noon. Winds were on again off again, with mostly calm conditions punctuated by the occasional moderate gust.

Avalanche Observations

No recent avalanches observed.

Snowpack Observations

No formal observations. Surfaces are a mixed bag, with a significant amount of faceting occurring just about everywhere.

Avalanche Problems

Problem Location Distribution Sensitivity Size Comments
Persistent Slab
Isolated
Specific
Widespread
Unreactive
Stubborn
Reactive
Touchy
D1
D1.5
D2
D2.5
D3
D3.5
D4
D4.5
D5
 Weak Layer(s): Dec 11, 2021 (FC)
Comments: Not directly observed. Rose shaded based on where this snow is known to exist.

I encountered some small, thin, stiff wind slabs along upper elevation ridgelines. Some of these were reactive to my weight, but they were isolated enough that they weren't really a problem for me.

Terrain Use

The presence of 12/11 ("October snow") at the base of the snowpack continues to influence my terrain selection in this zone. I passed up on a lot of what appeared to be excellent skiing with this in mind. Don't worry, I found plenty of excellent skiing.