Irwin Cat Terrain

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 12/15/2015
Name: Irwin Guides

Subject: Irwin Cat Terrain
Aspect: West
Elevation: 10,500-11,500

Weather: Storm was intense this morning with moderate to high winds but quickly calmed down for most of the day. Light snow, and light to moderate winds (westerly) most of the day. Snow and wind picked up around 15:00, and snow intensity increased.
Snowpack: Good Storm with about a foot of fresh. Signs of shallow windslabs in the UWW, but overall stable with no avalanches to report, though a few mini pockets.

Near Treeline: About 30cm’s of new snow with wind drifts & whales very evident. Ski cuts, hand shots, and 9lb airblasts produced widespread shallow cracking (5-15cm’s deep). The storm was a little upside down, probably the same density, though winds probably picked up early morning causing just the top bit to feel slabby. Cracking from shots propagated wide over 100 feet in places, which was surprising because it was only in the top 5-15 cm’s. Some shots and ski cuts produced shallow narrow crowns 10-30’ wide but never really ran. A few ran 50-100 feet.

Below Treeline: No signs of instability or windslabs, ski pen mostly to the ground on JA Steep. I thought we would see some sluffing but no signs of instability. Only a little traffic today in JA Steep Right side not left, but good traffic the past 4-days down in there, all weak snow, no slabs.