Public Field Report

Observation Details

Signs of Unstable Snow

Observations

Time: 2:30 PM
Coordinates: 43.89296, -114.69911
Slope: ~20 degrees
Aspect: South
Elevation: 8759 ft
Snow Depth: 155 cm
ECT: 3 from the wrist sluffed off the powder on the top. 3 from the shoulder triggered at 105 cm.
Snow Column: 155 - 100 fist, 100-50 4 fingers, 50- 5cm 1 finger, 5 cm pen

I was with two others that skied twin bowls while I dug a pit and hiked up on snowshoes. The snowpack seemed stable, but we stayed out of anything over 25 degrees. We didn't see any slides but plenty of human ski and skin tracks. The snow was quiet, and we didn't see any cracks. There was a good amount of powder on top of a dense slab. Near the bottom of the pack was about 5 cm crust that was hard but would crumble after messing with it a bit. The snow saw went through it pretty easily. My ECT pushed the powder layer off pretty easily and after some swings from the shoulder I got a response around 105cm in the middle of the slab.

Ski conditions were great, and it was a beautiful, bluebird day.