Carbon Peak

Date of Observation: 01/13/2022
Name: Evan Ross

Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Carbon Peak. North. 9,800-11,900ft

Observed avalanche activity: No
Avalanches: Nothing new or notable.

Weather: Calm wind with thin clouds creating partly to mostly cloudy sky.

Snowpack: Headed to Carbon Peak to get more observations from areas that generally hold a shallower snowpack. The northern slopes of Carbon had an HS averaging around 160cm, with some probe strikes hitting 120cm and some hitting 190cm. Of course, no obvious signs of instability. Targeted a shallower area with an HS of 135cm on a 22-degree north-facing slope at 11,400ft. The mid-pack consisted of P hard snow. The 12/6 interface was about 25cm thick of moist 3mm facets that were 4F+ hard. PST and DT tests were inconclusive. 1 PST had no result and while performing the other the cut was interrupted by a hidden rock. While setting up deep tap tests the heavy columns kept breaking in the facets on isolation. Those were irregular rough breaks. This location had scree on the ground and I believe that led to the inaccurate or inconclusive tests. No buried layers of concern were found in the upper snowpack.

The snow quality was great. Fast and surfy.