Date of Observation: 01/04/2016
Name: Donny Roth
Aspect: East, South East, South, South West, West
Elevation: 9500-11200
Avalanches:
Weather: Increasing clouds in PM, high temp of +3ºC @ 12:00 @ 10,400’, Calm all day
Snowpack: No signs of instabilities all day; SkiPen around 5 to 10cm on average while skinning; surface was moist on south aspects, SH in the shade. South aspect between 10,800’ and 11,200’ had an HS 90 to 100 cm with the bottom 20cm being well developed facets and upper 70cm being a cohesive slab that had more resistance in the bottom. This was the most concerning snow I found all day and we worked low-angle terrain in the trees. Moving to the east, we found a slope that had avalanched previously. There was an average HS of 50cm, 4F snow that was mostly stronger at the bottom with the thin crust and a thin layer of facets under it. We skied a short 35º pitch and then it mellowed to lower 30s. We had no signs of instabilities.