Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 11/30/2018
Name: Steve Banks
Subject: Dumping at Pittsburg
Aspect: North East, East
Elevation: 10,500
Avalanches:
None observed.
Weather: S1-S2 all morning. Surprisingly little wind all day. It really started coming down at 11:30 and the wind picked up, but then it calmed right down again. Temps were warm, near freezing.
Snowpack: We mostly traveled in areas that had avalanched Thanksgiving weekend, and therefor didn’t see any new movement. We poked at some hillsides to see if we could get some action but found none. One large collapse in a flat bench NE facing at 10,000’ as the 3rd skier approached the group.
Test profile showed HS of 80 cms. 35cms of new snow with half of that lighter than the bottom half (right side up!). Found a soft crust below the new snow as we were on a more easterly roll. Below the crust was DFs and facets over the basal facets at the ground. ECT test got a break above the snow with no indication of propagation. Shovel tilt test showed new snow instabilities where yesterday’s wetter snow is capped by fryer snow.
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