Public Observation

Observation Details

Observations

We skied from the lower trailhead to the end of the east ridge of Mt Olsen. The day was clear and cool with morning temperatures of 29F to mid day temps at 10,500 ft reaching 35F. Light east winds blew most of the day until 3PM.

New snow amounts from the weekend storm ranged from 2 to 6 inches. IN glades, new snow was sitting on top of recrystallized snow. Depth hoar was present at the base of the snow pack where the snow was less than 50 cm. Snow pack depths ranged from 60-90 cm in forest to 270 cm on the north facing slopes below the ridge and densities were generally . I probed along the circumference of a open glade, finding consistent snow depths of 250 to 270 cm. We did not see any wind slabs or experienced whumpfing or cracking under our skis. A shallow hasty pit was dug at 10,000 ft. 3 inches of new snow with surface hoar was above a knife hard wind layer 20 cm thick. Below the wind layer, was a meter of small facets. Most of the snowpack at this location is snow that fell during December.

The SE gully on Dunderberg was filled in with enough snow to hide the wind scour and deposition observed last week. Ski tracks were observed on the east face of South Peak. On the descent, skis hit the hard wind layer occasionally but new snow was deep enough for a pleasant ski down through glades to theLower Virginia Creek campground. lower campground.

Signs of Unstable Snow