Observations

Date of Observation: 01/16/2022

Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Top of Coon to Red Lady Basin, Redwell to OBJ; OBJ to Schuylkill via the west side; Birthday back to the car. 9,000-12,000 feet & most aspects.

Observed avalanche activity: No
Avalanches: All old crowns, but lots of them.
Weather: Cold to start, but warming quickly throughout the day. Light N winds that decreased throughout the day.
Snowpack: A little bit of everything. A bit crusty, but OK (assertive) skiing on SE & SW aspects. N and NE aspects had some punchy, wind-affected snow, but most of the textured snow skied really well. Felt like a spring tour today.

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Date of Observation: 01/16/2022
Name: Zach Guy

Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: West Brush Creek, generally traveled on E and NE aspects to 11,300 ft.

Observed avalanche activity: No
Weather: Calm winds. A few thin clouds this afternoon.
Snowpack: No signs of instability. HS ranged from 120 to 150 cm. PSTs targeting basal weak layers showed an improving trend, with propagation after half of the weak layer was cut (PST 58/120 END down 120cm on 12/6). There were some shrubberies within the weak layer that may have affected the results.  The 12/6 layer (2.5-3.5 mm rounding depth hoar, 4F) shows noticeable signs of rounding and hardening compared to pits at a similar elevation last week.
Snow surfaces are faceting and are currently weakest (and softest) on near and below treeline, wind-sheltered, shaded terrain. Sun crusts have formed on anything with a hint of south of due east. Wind board at higher elevations or on more wind-exposed lower elevations.

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Date of Observation: 01/15/2022
Name: Alan Bernholtz

Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Hiked the west ridge and skied the northeast summit bowl

Observed avalanche activity: No
Weather: Clear skies, moderate temperatures and moderate winds near and above tree line out of the north north east at 25mph estimated.
Snowpack: Near and above tree line was wind pressed and textured snow surface. Variable depths depending on terrain features. Protected lower elevation areas was boot top creamy snow with near surface facettes. We did not see any signs of instability or recent avalanche activity.

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Date of Observation: 01/15/2022
Name: D K

Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Snodgrass to East river bottom. Up Redrock subridge and back to Snodgrass TH via Gothic and Snodgrass.

Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: One unreported slide on E face BTL @ 9200′. Older crown from the holiday storm. Glide crack has developed in bed surface since.
Weather: Bluebird. Wind kicked up NTL
Snowpack: Breaker suncrusts on all southern half slopes traveled up to 11500′. Slopes on northern half were sloughing in steeper terrain where sheltered from yesterday’s wind.

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Date of Observation: 01/15/2022
Name: Zach Guy

Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Various E to NE aspects below treeline near town, up to 10,400 ft.

Observed avalanche activity: No
Weather: Clear, cool, calm where we traveled. I could see blowing snow off of peaks near Paradise Divide this afternoon.
Snowpack: No signs of instability except shallow sluffing. Snow depths averaged 150 cm. On a steep, northeast aspect below treeline, a “deep tap” ECT produced propagating results on basal weak layers, suggesting propagation potential is still there if you can impact the weak layer. The weak layer does show signs of improvement compared to a pit in a similar location a week ago; grains are rounding, 2-3mm, and 4F- hard (compared to F hard and no apparent rounding last week). I hunted for shallow spots below treeline, and the only terrain feature with a thinner snowpack was a rocky face on which slab and weak layer are likely discontinuous. Ski cuts on that feature produced sluffing.

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Date of Observation: 01/14/2022
Name: Evan Ross

Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: 2nd Bowl Mt Axtell

Observed avalanche activity: No
Avalanches: This avalanche was previously documented during the holiday natural avalanche cycle, but we hadn’t been to the toe of the avalanche to confirm just how far it had run.

This was a very large avalanche that is estimated to have propagated across the full start zone. It ran to, or through, the historic trim line of the avalanche path. The avalanche ran for just short of a mile in length. It descended close to 1,900ft in elevation, and in the runout it ran horizontally 1,800ft through mostly flat or hilly terrain. Alpha angle around 19.7 degrees. All those junky little trees in the avalanche track that interrupt your ski turns are now nicely pruned.

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Date of Observation: 01/13/2022
Name: Evan Ross

Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Carbon Peak. North. 9,800-11,900ft

Observed avalanche activity: No
Avalanches: Nothing new or notable.

Weather: Calm wind with thin clouds creating partly to mostly cloudy sky.

Snowpack: Headed to Carbon Peak to get more observations from areas that generally hold a shallower snowpack. The northern slopes of Carbon had an HS averaging around 160cm, with some probe strikes hitting 120cm and some hitting 190cm. Of course, no obvious signs of instability. Targeted a shallower area with an HS of 135cm on a 22-degree north-facing slope at 11,400ft. The mid-pack consisted of P hard snow. The 12/6 interface was about 25cm thick of moist 3mm facets that were 4F+ hard. PST and DT tests were inconclusive. 1 PST had no result and while performing the other the cut was interrupted by a hidden rock. While setting up deep tap tests the heavy columns kept breaking in the facets on isolation. Those were irregular rough breaks. This location had scree on the ground and I believe that led to the inaccurate or inconclusive tests. No buried layers of concern were found in the upper snowpack.

The snow quality was great. Fast and surfy.

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Date of Observation: 01/13/2022
Name: Zach Kinler

Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Baxter Basin to Angel Pass area

Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: Spotted ! D1.5 Wind Slab on SE aspect that likely ran later in the day on 1/12. Several D1 wet loose on steep South from 1/12, 1 that was D1.5(didn’t get picture)
Weather: High thin clouds and light northerly breezes kept it feeling cooler than previous day although temps reached a bit higher.
Snowpack: Surfaces had been worked a bit by wind and sun in alpine areas. Variable crusts on steep S-SE up higher and E at lower elevations. Jumped in a bed surface on a NNE slope that had avalanched around 12/31. There was 75 cm of snow on the old bed surface, up to 1F hard. At this location, the 1/6 interface was 1-1.25 mm facets and produced propagating ECT only after standard loading steps and smackin it a bit harder. The overlying slab was fairly soft(4F).

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Date of Observation: 01/13/2022
Name: Jack Caprio

Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Wolverine to climax

Observed avalanche activity: No

Weather: Sunny and warm. Light winds

Snowpack: HS in Wolverine basin averaged around 220 cms. HS in wind affected areas near ridge line was much less ~1 meter. Snow surfaces above treeline in NNW terrain consisted of 5-10 cm of punchy wind slab. Unreactive to ski cuts but decreased ski quality. Bummer.

Wind protected areas below treeline on steep shady slopes provided great near surface facet surfing.

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Date of Observation: 01/13/2022
Name: Zach Guy

Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Rec tour on Owen. NE to E to SE aspects up to 13,000 ft

Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: Nothing new. A couple of previously undocumented slides from the last cycle; could only see debris piles. Details below.
Weather: Increasing thin clouds. Warm temps, light winds.
Snowpack: We assessed 2” to 4” hard wind drifted slabs near ridgetop that appeared to be bonding well; unreactive to ski cuts. No signs of instability in steep terrain. Surfaces are wind affected above treeline after yesterday’s winds.

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