Observation: Lake Desolation 1/30/2012

Observer Name:

Hardesty, Havlick

Region:

Salt Lake
Big Cottonwood Canyon
Mill D North
Lake Desolation

Observation Date:

01/30/2012

Weather

Sky:

Broken

Precipitation:

Light Snowfall

Wind Direction:

West

Wind Speed:

Moderate

Weather Comments:

A few flakes as the wave came in this mid-morning. Moderate westerly winds...minor cracking in new shallow drifts.

Red Flags

Recent Avalanches

Red Flag Comments:

Plenty of red flags out there. Would've checked cracking, collapsing and rapid warming, but didn't get any.

Primary Concern

Primary Concern:

Deep Slabs

Probability:

Considerable

Aspect:

North

Northeast

East

Southeast

West

Northwest

Elevation:

High

Mid

Trend:

Same

Primary Concern Comments:

Not going away soon. Weather models look bleak, but structure still poor.

snow_profile_location:

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 1)

Went to go look at a remotely triggered slide beneath 9990' into Lake Deso. Broke out 50' below skier's traverse with tensile cracks above.

Video below demonstrates an E-ECT (Extended - extended compression test) - 180cm wide, 30 cm back - full propagation on 20th hit. This test done 150' above crown of slide. Hangfire prevented inspection of crown.

4 lemons for those in the know -

Within 100cm, hardness difference, grain size difference, persistent weak layer...though weak layer remains 30cm thick to the ground.

Video 1:

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 2)

Ian Havlick looking at the weak facets/depth hoar below.

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 3)