Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 12/07/2019
Name: Ian Havlick
Subject: Coneys Pre-Storm Obs
Aspect: North, North East, East, South East
Elevation: 9,000-11,400
Avalanches:
no recent avalanches observed aside from a few small pockets mid-elevation across Slate River on Schuykill. Looked suspiciously like surface hoar but unverified. Old pockets that slid in late Novemeber have been skied over and blown in.
Weather: Mostly sunny transitioning to mostly cloudy by mid-afternoon. Some light NW winds at ridgetop, otherwise calm. Temperatures were rather mild in upper 20s, lower 30s.
Snowpack: Surprisingly supportable snowpack when breaking trail up far side Coneys. Ski pen ~20-30cm, Boot Pen easily to ground. Average height of snow (HS) 60-80cm. Deeper near ridgetop in wind drifted features. Several large collapses, a handful on the 3rd and 4th skiers in skin track. No significant cracking. Some minor wind transport on highest Baldy ridge line from NW winds, but nothing significant. Most notable was the widespread, large feather surface hoar all elevations. Will likely be preserved by Sundays snowfall and could be problematic in future.
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