Ruby Range

Date of Observation: 11/25/2021
Name: Evan Ross

Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Kebler Pass portion of the Ruby Range. Traveled on NE to SE aspects between 10,000 and 12,800ft.

Observed avalanche activity: No
Avalanches: Nothing notable
Weather: Beautiful clear day. In the alpine the winds were just strong enough to keep snow in saltation. Didn’t see too much for snow plumes off the peaks.
Snowpack: Between about 10,000 and 11,600ft we traveled on easterly and southeasterly aspects with nothing of note other than a moist snow surface.

Above 11,600ft we primarily traveled on easterly to slightly northeasterly aspects. Ski pen average about 15cm’s on a nice thick creamy snow surface. Moving into the alpine, the thicker wind-loaded drifts were the primary thing that dictated our travel. Those slabs averaged around 30cm’s thick on up to 45cm’s thick in the couple places I poked around. Those drifts were sitting on the well-documented weak old snow surfaces. Facets and soft crusts over facets, nothing confident inspiring. Pushed on a few small wind-loaded terrain things with no results. The thicker nature of those slabs made the avalanche problem feel more stubborn to trigger.

New snow depths down low were settling quickly in the sun, around the 4 to 5″ range. Moving into the alpine the new snow depths were too variable to give much of an estimate.