Professional Observation

Observation Details

Signs of Unstable Snow

Key Points

• Checked out McGee Mountain for warming conditions within the big easterly trench that drains into McGee creek just east of the pack station. Temperatures warmed quickly as we climbed out of the Crowley inversion under cutter blue skies and calm conditions.
• The main point today is that it was warm, real warm, and it felt like spring. I ascended up to 10K and at 1030am and it was already 42degF. At this point I decided to pull the plug and head down. So much exposed talus fields and intermittent snow, I didn’t want to deal with rock fall.
• Much of the snow surfaces in the area I traveled today are getting pretty feathered and 3-dimenisional on a primary east aspect. Southeast fingers in the gully where they hadn’t been coursed over by avalanches were smoother. Although it was quite warm, boot penetration was around 5-10cm in the consolidated gully. I also tried to boot on some snowfields that had depth, and  had not been impacted by avalanche or skier pressure…here boot penetration was also negligible as it seems that solar aspects are really starting to consolidate and become more supportable than they were a couple of weeks ago.
• Loose wet conditions were not an issue for me, but I stayed on >35deg slopes and was not on due south aspects or really confined terrain that were likely even getting hotter today.
• Another day of skiing in the fly fishing shirt, sunnies and ball cap, trying to ski  in the desert, gotta love it.