Observation: Big Water 2/28/2010

Observer Name:

Hardesty and Hosford

Region:

Salt Lake
Mill Creek Canyon
Big Water

Observation Date:

02/28/2010

Weather

Sky:

Scattered

Wind Direction:

Northeast

Wind Speed:

Light

Snow Characteristics

Snow Surface Conditions:

Powder

Melt-Freeze Crust

Red Flags

Recent Avalanches

Collapsing

Red Flag Comments:

Collapsing was in shallow area up near the Big Water/Soldier cutoff. Top of Fred's Birthday Chute but leaning into the Soldier drainage. Collapsed on depth hoar at the base of snowpack. Localized, not propagating collapse.

Primary Concern

Primary Concern:

Persistent Slabs

Probability:

Considerable

Aspect:

North

Northeast

East

West

Northwest

Elevation:

Mid

Trend:

Same

snow_profile_location:

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 1)

We have two layers of surface hoar of interest. One, formed Feb 17th and subsequently buried - now perhaps a foot deep. The other, more widespread layer, the Feb 10th layer, now buried 16-24" down. More active and prevalent in the Mill Creek, Park City, and BCC terrain. Extended column test brought these both to light on the 20th tap. Full propagation, both. See below. Healing? Not so well.

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 2)

This profile not far from this slide triggered remotely on Soldier from the 26th.

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 4)

Tracks today just up the ridgeline from another remotely triggered slide from yesterday or the day before. The pocket perhaps a touch steeper. May not matter too much: much of these slides have pulled back onto slopes measuring 29 degrees. This off the West Reynolds ridgeline. Illustrates the varied nature of our avalanche problems. Would the skiers have skied it had they known of the pocket? Perhaps, perhaps not.