Location: Brush Creek Area
Date of Observation: 02/29/2020
Name:
Subject: The day that disappeared – Pearl Star
Aspect: North, North East, South East, South, West
Elevation: 11,000′-12,700′
Avalanches: Old Cornice Break stepping down into wind slab and old snow. ATL – North East
Weather: Blue Jay. Warming temps in the days and nights. Rounding trend on its approach.
Snowpack: Wind has had its way with the Friend Hut zone.
HS150-170cm observed near friends hut and similar elevations in neighboring basins. Fully faceted snow in shallow north-facing areas found but spotty. Old wind slab on isolated terrain features above this fully faceted pack seemed to be alive and possibly reactive if found.
HS 240-300 on Lee loaded slopes ATL in South basin of Pearl and Star. 40cm+ of DH below very firm snow. Old wind deposited snow found on specific features and seemed to be stubborn to unreactive. Bonded well to snow below. One significant sign of instability, whumpf (no cracking observed), on a tour up to pearl pass. This was on a neighboring slope east of the pass on a South facing aspect.