Mt. Emmons

CBAC2014-15 Observations

GUIDE(S): Donny

DATE: 15-03-17

ACTIVITY: BC Skiing

LOCATION: Red Lady Bowl and Evan’s Basin

ELEVATION: 9200’ to 12,400’

ASPECT: SE-S-SW

WEATHER: 11:30 @ 11,200’ – SE Aspect: Clear, 6ºC, light wind from south, T20: 0ºC, SkiPen: 5cm, BootPen: full leg;
12:30 @ 12,400’ – Summit: Clear, 8ºC, moderate wind from south, T20: -1ºC, Ski Pen: 10cm, Boot Pen: 10cm
14:30 @ 11,800’ – SSW Aspect: Mostly sunny, 11ºC, calm, T20: -2ºC, SkiPen: 5cm, BootPen: 10cm

SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: Evidence of recent wet slab activity on multiple faces, mostly SE aspects. Climbing up through and above RLG I found mostly wet snow with free water present on SE aspects. SW/W aspects clearly get hot in afternoon as they are all runneled. Skied far skier’s left of RLB and found 5 to 10 cm of wet snow over still cold (-2ºC). At 12:45 it was moist and dense, but not yet wet. Surface produced insignificant surface sliding and a handful of rollerballs and pinwheels.

Snodgrass

CBAC2014-15 Observations

NAME: Evan Ross
DATE: 3/15/15
LOCATION: Snodgrass
ELEVATION: BTL 
ASPECT: NE
WEATHER: Mostly clear, real warm and no wind.
SNOWPACK:
NE slopes were getting sloppy and at 1pm had about 4-6″ of wet snow on the surface. Skiing on slopes less then 35 degrees produced pinwheels and roller balls that mde me wonder if you would have skier triggered the wet loose problem on steeper slopes? Persistent slab structure could be felt on all slopes traveled but was unreactive  in the form of any obvious signs to instability.
Dug on test profile on a due north facing slope at 9,650 feet. HS 135. Overall structure was a 75cm 4f-1f slab sitting on F+ facets. CT14SC, ECTP23 SC on this interface, both fractures where sudden but somewhat rough and not planner as they broke through the 2mm facets.
AVALANCHE OBS: 
Heard 1 wet avalanche tumble off the east face of gothic around 1:30pm.

Snodgrass

CBAC2014-15 Observations

NAME: Evan Ross
DATE: 3/15/15
LOCATION: Snodgrass
ELEVATION: BTL 
ASPECT: NE
WEATHER: Mostly clear, real warm and no wind.
SNOWPACK:
NE slopes were getting sloppy and at 1pm had about 4-6″ of wet snow on the surface. Skiing on slopes less then 35 degrees produced pinwheels and roller balls that mde me wonder if you would have skier triggered the wet loose problem on steeper slopes? Persistent slab structure could be felt on all slopes traveled but was unreactive  in the form of any obvious signs to instability.
Dug on test profile on a due north facing slope at 9,650 feet. HS 135. Overall structure was a 75cm 4f-1f slab sitting on F+ facets. CT14SC, ECTP23 SC on this interface, both fractures where sudden but somewhat rough and not planner as they broke through the 2mm facets.
AVALANCHE OBS: 
Heard 1 wet avalanche tumble off the east face of gothic around 1:30pm.

Snodgrass

CBAC2014-15 Observations

NAME: Alex & Donny
DATE: 15-03-15
LOCATION: Snodgrass (Rental shop Glades)
ELEVATION: BTL
ASPECT: SE-E
WEATHER:  Few clouds but mostly clear throughout the day. Hot Temps, As billy would say, Africa Hot. Maybe a gust of wind at 5mph
SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS:  When you get a crack of noon start and are targeting solar aspects i think we all know what were going to find. Found pretty consistent HS around 120cm around 10,500′. Snow was moist all the way to the ground. Boot pen ranging from 25cm to 80cm.
Our group observed multiple large collapses on a 15* SE facing slope around 10,500′. We dug a pit on a SE shaded 30* slope at 10,500′ and found a 4f trending to 1f 35cm slab resting over 70cm of mature facets with P+ 2cm crust layer thrown in the mix. CTX, ECTP18 @60cm, Q1.

Ruby Range

CBAC2014-15 Observations

NAME: JSJ

DATE: 3/15/15

LOCATION: Ruby Mtn, Kebler Pass

ELEVATION: 10,200-12,800
ASPECT: E/SE/S
WEATHER: Mostly clear, warm, light breeze at ridge top, noticeable temperature difference above 11,500′ this am.
SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: As of 1100 am, on steep South Facing terrain (~40*ish), above 12,500′, we found a slight layer of corn over a weak 3cm thick MF crust over 15cms of dry snow (wind loaded layer post storm ?) on a K hard 1cm ice layer (green housing layer immediately post storm?). Below 11,500′ MF crust became soft and mushy and ski pen was 15cms or more. No instabilities seen, though snowpack structure we found, was very much in transition still, and should not be taken for a true Spring Melt Freeze cycle yet.

Mt Emmons

CBAC2014-15 Observations

NAME: ScottDATE: 3/15/15LOCATION: EmmonsELEVATION: 9,000-12,000ASPECT: SEWEATHER: Clear and warm with light windsSNOWPACK:  Strong crust in the morning on south aspects.  Light winds helped keep the surface cool, although direct sun hastened the melting process.  By 11:30 there was 4cm of corn snow above a supportive crust on S-SE aspects.  No signs of rollerballs, pinwheels, or wet loose slides prior to 1230.

Mt. Emmons

CBAC2014-15 Observations

NAME: Evan Ross
DATE: 3/11/15
LOCATION: Mt. Emmons
ELEVATION: 12,000-9,000
ASPECT: N
WEATHER: Thin overcast Clouds created a very warm greenhouse effect below ridgeline where there was no wind. At ridgeling winds where SW light with moderate gusts during the first half of the day.
SNOWPACK:
On north facing upper elevations (ATL/NTL) boot pen averaged about 20cm. HS was around 150cm-195cm on average. Feeling with a probe through the terrain, the PS structure was about 80cm thick with a relatively thin layer of weaker snow below. At these elevations the snow surface stayed dry despite the warm conditions. At lower elevations (BTL) snow surfaces where moist. No obvious or resent sings to instability noticed at all elevations.
ATL snow surfaces on South where still frozen at noon.

Snodgrass Observation

CBAC2014-15 Observations

NAME: Evan Ross
DATE: 3/9/15
LOCATION: Snodgrass
ELEVATION: BTL 
ASPECT: NE
WEATHER: Mostly clear, real warm again and no wind.
SNOWPACK:
Persistent slab structure is really scary in many places, yet we didn’t feel a single collapse traveling on a variety of slope angles and terrain features. Where the HS is deep, over 150cm say, the facets below the slab have more resistance and better bonding with one another. Where the HS is shallower the facets below the slab are fist hard and full sugar. Boot pen around 20-30cm on all slopes.
AVALANCHE OBS: 
All kinds of old carnage on this side of snodgrass. Most of the terrain over 35 degrees has already avalanched, but there are still a few pockets left.

Washington Gultch

CBAC2014-15 Observations

NAME: KristaDATE: 2015.03.08ACTIVITY: Avy 1 ClassLOCATION: Coney’sASPECT: NE

WEATHER: Mostly clear, mostly warm, only a little breezeAVALANCHE/SNOWPACK OBS: Avy 1 class toured up a less than 30 degree north facing slope from 9500 – 11,000ft. 140cm (+/-) snow depth, with a distinct strong over weak snow pack was felt throughout the tour. No signs of instabilities were felt under foot today, however the class was amazed with the amount of avalanches that were visible (literally everywhere) from their ridge top tour. Skiing quality was supportive, penetrating only 20 cm into the snowpack, and no crusts were felt on the north aspects. A new sun crust was forming on the lower angle terrain however, where the sun was affecting the surface of the snow.