Date of Observation: 03/01/2021
Name: Eric Murrow
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Location:
Aspect: North East, East, South East, South
Elevation: 9,400′ – 10,600′
Avalanches: nothing new observed
Weather: Clear skies, moderate temperatures, and light winds.
Snowpack: Traveled through an area that has a snowpack depth near the median for the Crested Butte area – not as deep as areas further west/north and not as shallow as terrain further east. Snow surfaces on the south half of the compass became moist by early afternoon, but no wet snow concerns developed in this area. Melt/freeze crusts 4 to 6cm thick on sunny features, but still slightly soft not fully supporting skis without breaking. Ice columns from warm period at the end of last week pushed up to 8 inches below the surface – liquid water will need to move about an additional 30cm down, or more, to reach weak interfaces. Dug a test profile on an east aspect testing Persistent Slab problem and did not get results in ECT, but PST results continue to fail well before 50% of cut length. The persistent Slab problem appears very stubborn on this below treeline terrain.
Photos:
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- Test profile from east slope below treeline showing very stubborn to trigger avalanche problem.
