Date of Observation: 03/08/2017
Name: Evan Ross
Aspect: North East, East, South West
Elevation: 10,000-13,000
Avalanches:
Weather: Mostly clear. Generally calm to light winds, with some very strong westerly gusts at Ridgeline.
Snowpack: South and west facing slopes were mostly blown back to old snow surfaces with plenty of wind jack. Easterly and Northerly slopes were either very wind effected, wind pressed, or wind loaded by the last extreme wind event. Snow surfaces on these aspects depended on the sounding topography and how the winds had come through the area.
The most concerning structure we looked at was on a northeasterly slope at 12,500ft with wind deposited and pressed snow over 4f to 4f- near surface .facets. Lots of variability in the new or old snow surfaces. Avoided a few wind loaded terrain features, otherwise no other obvious signs to instability noted.
Snow quality was better on the Crested Butte side of the Elks then the Aspen side:}