Observation: Amazon Face 1/22/2012

Observer Name:

Toby Weed

Region:

Logan
Logan River
Beaver Creek
Amazon Face

Observation Date:

01/22/2012

Weather

Sky:

Few

Wind Direction:

Northwest

Wind Speed:

Moderate

Weather Comments:

Beautiful Day

Snow Characteristics

New Snow Depth:

12"

New Snow Density:

Medium

Snow Surface Conditions:

Powder

Snow Characteristic Comments:

Pretty nice skiing..... Powder surface a bit wind hammered in places, but you could turn right on through the small soft drifts. I did notice a thin rime crust in about the middle of the fresher snow, probably from the warmth and rain on Thursday....

Red Flags

Recent Avalanches

Heavy Snowfall

Cracking

Collapsing

Red Flag Comments:

Even as the fourth up the skin track I still triggered huge booming collapses or whumphing. The party ahead of me triggered many deep shooting cracks, some at least 100 feet long. Many entire lower angled meadows had extensive cracks throughout.... These in the two-foot-plus deep range.

Primary Concern

Primary Concern:

Persistent Slabs

Probability:

High

Aspect:

North

Northeast

East

West

Northwest

Elevation:

High

Mid

Trend:

Less Dangerous

snow_profile_location:

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 1)

I dug down, following a couple of the many cracks, and found that they broke through the obvious 12-28-2011 rime-crust and failed on the weak facets several cms below it....

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 2)

As I got higher up the Amazon Face, I could see more evidence of recent natural avalanches... Probably at least half-a-dozen crown from a natural cycle overnight or late yesterday (1-21-2012)

Observed Danger Rating:

High

Forecast Danger Rating:

High