Bit of this bit of that

Zone: Northwest Mountains

Location: Poverty Gulch – around easterly side of Mineral Point

Date of Observation: 11/25/2020

Name: Eric Murrow Zach Kinler

Subject: Bit of this bit of that

Aspect: North East, East, South East, South

Elevation: 9,500 – 11,650

Avalanches:

Several small (D1) wind slabs observed on east and northeast above treeline slopes. One below ridge top, others mid feature on small inset portions of the feature.

Weather: Cold temps at valley bottom gave way to warm, pleasant. conditions on sunny terrain features. Light winds near and below treeline; some blowing snow and loading above treeline on to southeasterly slopes.

Snowpack: Sunny slopes had several inches of moist snow resting on supportive crusts. The snow on warm features wetted to old crust and refroze to old surface once the sun left the terrain below treeline.

East facing slopes remain dry below and near treeline in this area. Evidence of some wind redistribution near treeline, but really no hazard from Wind Slabs in areas traveled. We were able to produce some minor cracking on the most suspect drifts, but nothing more.

Stomped around on several small drifts behind tree fences on northerly terrain and got one localized collapse on an obvious wind whale but it didn’t produce any cracks. Probing showed weak faceted snow at the ground, but outside the wind whale there just wasn’t much of a slab.

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