Date of Observation: 11/05/2022
Name: Eric Murrow
Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Toured from Pittsburg to the bottom of Baxter Basin.
Observed avalanche activity: No
Avalanches: none observed. Visibility was poor.
Weather: Overcast skies, foggy conditions and very light snowfall.
Snowpack: Only toured up to 10,600′ on easterly and northeasterly low-angle terrain. Each drifted test slope we encountered collapsed and cracked (generally east and northeast aspects). The drifted snow failed on small-grained facets buried on Wednesday night. Slabs were up to 4f hard and 16 inches thick. We also encountered a thin (5mm) crust on the surface that appeared to be from a short period of rain Friday night or Saturday morning. It was present up to 10,600′ where we stopped uphill travel.
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- The very thin crust at the snow surface. The crust was comprised of water-ice and graupel which leads me to believe it is from a short period of rain.
