Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 12/09/2018
Name: Cam
Subject: Snowpack still adjusting
Aspect: North, North East, South, South West
Elevation: 9-12.5 K
Avalanches:
One seemingly large avalanche on Axtel in 4th Bowl. Didn’t have a good enough view to notice any details. Clouds made it hard to see anything all day.
Weather: Light snowfall in the early AM. Felt humid. Winds generally calm except for above treeline. We didn’t see a lot of transport happening on the southern end of the forecast zone. Clouds came and went (mostly hung around) all day.
Snowpack: While skinning up a shady N aspect experienced numerous collapses between 10,000 ft. and 11,000 ft. Hand pit showed 65cm HS. Fairly consistent 4F all the way down to depth hoar on the ground. Collapsing stopped once the HS got deeper as we climbed, closer to 100-110 cms near and above treeline. Same structure existed, but no longer showed reaction to our weight.
Same exact thing happened on a different peak later in the day, but collapsing occurred both in and out of the trees.
South and Southwest aspects were more thin with no obvious signs of instability and a crust forming on the surface.
Photos: