PE2

Salt Lake » Park City Ridgeline

Willow Lake to Monitors and back

I had time to dig two small pits on the way back up to the BCC/PC ridge line after skiing the ridge between the Monitors. I dug down at around 9600’ and found a new snow slab (nice and aesthetic) of about 16”, above a 16” layer of facets (slightly darker and gross looking). The facets at the bottom were able to be formed into a snowball (damp). At about 9800”, the same set up existed visually, yet it had a stiff well bonded section in the lower portion of facets just above the ground. At 9800”, moving from ground up, there are a few inches of dry facets, a consolidated slab of facets (temp affected facets??), more dry facets, and then the 16” of new snow. It was interesting that within about 200’ the facets looked to have melted and refroze at 9800’, and had melted and were damp at 9600”. Not sure how this works.... Neither of the pits would produce a Q1 sheer. It took a bit to get a fracture on the new snow slab>facet interface. Stay off any steep slope that does not have any natural anchors. The snow on the steep, open slopes looks like it has a wind skin and will not likely produce smooth riding conditions. My guess is that while the snow is rotting from the top down, the load will be adapting to the weight on the lowest (October) facet layer. This is a love/hate relationship: the upper elevations will become a little safer while the facets adjust to the snow slab, until we get a lot of new snow or a lengthy period of high pressure that rots the entire snowpack. Either increases the avy danger. The latter looks more realistic. Yay.

Moderate

Moderate