DATE: 2/6-2/8
LOCATION: maroon hut/gothic
Elevation: 9-10500
WEATHER: Mostly sunny skies, very warm temps, minimal wind. Did get a skiff of snow Saturday night. Crazy.
SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS (approach flotation issues): We dug at edge of rock glacier in WNW side of whiterock up copper creek. HS Ranged from 80-200cm with widespread surface hoar 10-15mm preserved 20-40cm deep under a 4F slab. Dec 13th slab was unreactive until an informal extended deep tap got full propagation after wailing on it several times. Several natural avalanches were observed off center of e. Face of gothic and ene face of baldy from weds/thurs storm/wind. Spookiest results were on snodgrass. Preserved SH 10mm, ECTP7, ECTP12… Both SP, on 26*, E-facing slope. Deferred to lowest angle terrain and skied 30* meadow directly below saddle. 6th skier got large collapse on descent, but no cracking observed. Adjacent to our descent, on Friday, 2 skiers looked to have remotely triggered a 100-150ft wide pocket, 12-18″ deep, that looked like a SH weak layer from a distance. Below treeline, slightly convex meadow.