Observation: Grizzly Gulch 2/2/2012

Observer Name: 
Greg Gagne
Region: 
Salt Lake
Little Cottonwood Canyon
Grizzly Gulch
Observation Date: 
02/02/2012
Location or Route: 
Grizzly Gulch/Wolverine
Weather
Sky: 
Obscured
Precipitation: 
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction: 
Northeast
Wind Speed: 
Moderate
Weather Comments: 

 S-1 snowfall with gusty Moderate winds out of N/NE.

Snow Characteristics

New Snow Depth: 
3"
New Snow Density: 
Low
Snow Surface Conditions: 
Powder
Wind Crust
Snow Characteristic Comments: 

 About 10 cm (3-4") of new snow in upper LCC. Moderate N/NE winds were producing fresh, sensitive wind slabs up to 30 cm (12") with 4F to 1F hardness. These slabs were sitting on top of weaker snow underneath that had appeared to undergo faceting.

Red Flags

Wind Loading
Cracking
Red Flag Comments: 

No collapsing observed. The only red flag were the fresh wind drifts formed from the N/NE winds. Wind loading appears confined to ridgelines, but the slabs were sensitive and were sitting on top of weaker snow underneath. 

Primary Concern

Primary Concern: 
Persistent Slabs
Probability: 
Considerable
Aspect: 
North
Northeast
East
West
Northwest
Elevation: 
High
Trend: 
Same

Secondary Concern

Secondary Concern: 
Wind Slabs
Probability: 
Moderate
Aspect: 
Southwest
West
Elevation: 
High
Trend: 
Less Dangerous
Secondary Concern Comments: 

 Am thinking wind slabs will become less sensitive.

snow_profile_location: 
Comments - Photos - Videos (group 1)

 First photo is of fresh wind slab that had cracked out 15 meters (~50'). It was 30 cm thick and 1F hardness. This was the largest wind slab we were able to fracture, although we got several smaller pockets to pull out. 

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Comments - Photos - Videos (group 2)

 I was skiing in the Tetons last week and hadn't been in the Wasatch for 10 days. With deep slab instabilities it is very difficult to gauge the safety of one slope over the next unless you are certain of its recent history and if it has slid or not. While in the Tetons I dug a few pits to get a general idea of the snow structure (yup, poor) and then used my probe the rest of the time to test the depth of the weak layer and the thickness of the slab above. This second photo shows my touring partner using the probe to test the snow structure in upper Grizzly Gulch. I find this a useful way of quickly checking the structure and takes very little time. Overall we were finding snow depths to be 1.5 - 2 meters with faceted layers about 1 meter down (although in some areas we probed it was less than that.) Until our snowpack grows substantially thicker (which it appears won't for the forseeable future) I am reluctant to get on any steep slopes.

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Observed Danger Rating: 
Considerable
Forecast Danger Rating: 
Considerable

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