Guide(s): Donny (Irwin Guides)
Date: 2014-12-31
Location: Red Lady Glades to Evan’s Basin
Elevation: 9200′ to 12,400′
Aspect: Mostly south
Weather: clear, calm and cold at the trailhead in the morning. Significant warming during the day. It was downright pleasant to 11,800′. Moderate winds from SE on top of Mt. Emmons. Some blowing snow and loading into Redwell Basin.
Snowpack/Avalanche Obs: Ski pen of 5cm while skinning. Boot pen varied. At times it would go to the Dec. 13 interface, other times it would go to the basal facets. Snow surface was a mix of surface facets and surface hoar. No signs of instabilities or recent avalanches. I dug two, quick holes. The Dec. 13th interface is still there, and the snow above it gains strength the deeper it gets. Why is it not reactive? I wonder if the snow since Dec. 13th isn’t starting to facet, maybe some crusts as well, and therefore the change in hardness is less dramatic? Obviously, I didn’t have time to study in more detail. Thoughts?