From car park to rock creek lodge, up to Patricia Bowl, back.
Weather:
Light snowfall, moderate to strong winds from the south.
Avalanche Activity:
None
Comments:
-Thin Snowpack from 9000 - 1000'. At one pt ~9000', SE facing slope total depth = 60cm, with top 10cm of sugary faceted snow, and bottom 15cm of sugary faceted snow.
-10600': SE aspect: 1 meter total depth. See attached profile.
Presently the layer of greatest concern is 48 - 52cm which is below the Jan 12th melt freeeze crust. Considerable force required to fracture, planar fracture resulted, although somewhat resistant. Snowpack overall assessed stable. With considerable new snow expected, future layer of concern is just below the surface crust which failed very easily with sudden planar result.
-10600': East aspect: 145 cm total depth (result from some wind load). CT test: CT22Q2/3 50cm up from bottom (again just below Jan 12th melt/freeze crust). ECTX (no result). Snow assessed to be fairly stable.
-11000' North aspect 37 degree slope. Total snow depth >2 meters. Top 15-20cm: pencil hard wind slab. Layer under wind slab: 15cm 4finger hardness. Below this weak layer: Pencil hard down atleast 50cm (not observed below this). All tests failed at bottom of weak layer. CTVEQ1, CT2Q1, ECT did not propogate (tested twice with same result), Rushblock 5 - 1/2 of block fractured and slid on planar surface. With scary initial CT tests, comfort was regained with the ECT and Ruschblock test results. However, clean fracture possibility exists, so caution is still advised.
-Thin Snowpack from 9000 - 1000'. At one pt ~9000', SE facing slope total depth = 60cm, with top 10cm of sugary faceted snow, and bottom 15cm of sugary faceted snow.
-10600': SE aspect: 1 meter total depth. See attached profile.
Presently the layer of greatest concern is 48 - 52cm which is below the Jan 12th melt freeeze crust. Considerable force required to fracture, planar fracture resulted, although somewhat resistant. Snowpack overall assessed stable. With considerable new snow expected, future layer of concern is just below the surface crust which failed very easily with sudden planar result.
-10600': East aspect: 145 cm total depth (result from some wind load). CT test: CT22Q2/3 50cm up from bottom (again just below Jan 12th melt/freeze crust). ECTX (no result). Snow assessed to be fairly stable.
-11000' North aspect 37 degree slope. Total snow depth >2 meters. Top 15-20cm: pencil hard wind slab. Layer under wind slab: 15cm 4finger hardness. Below this weak layer: Pencil hard down atleast 50cm (not observed below this). All tests failed at bottom of weak layer. CTVEQ1, CT2Q1, ECT did not propogate (tested twice with same result), Rushblock 5 - 1/2 of block fractured and slid on planar surface. With scary initial CT tests, comfort was regained with the ECT and Ruschblock test results. However, clean fracture possibility exists, so caution is still advised.