Observation Date
12/24/2013
Observer Name
PE2
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Bear Trap
Location Name or Route
Bear Trap Fork
Weather
Sky
Scattered
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Light breeze along the ridge line. Snow was traveling uphill on a E facing aspect. Transported snow looked like little groppel balls. Sky condition were dark, sunny, cloudy, partly cloudy, blazing sunshine :)
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Density
Medium
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Dense Loose
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
Skiing powder. South facing was nice and creamy around 12:45p. North facing was 22” of new/newish storm snow. The amount at the car was far less than what was at the top. Trail breaking was easy/medium, groppel balls made for slippery skinning.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Rapid Warming
Red Flags Comments
No evidence of major cracking, collapsing, or recent avalanches. Snow is damp on the south/west side, and will refreeze into something awful overnight. Same time tomorrow should be nice and creamy. Be cautious of damp slabby new snow getting warmed by the sun.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wet Snow
Problem #1 Comments
Loose snow is easy to transport. The groppel balls and powder flakes are flying around in pretty wind drifts along the ridge line. Tracks that looked fresh were covered up along the ridge line.
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
New Snow
Trend
Same
Problem #2 Comments
Damp, med-dense snow keeps piling up. The snow structure is sandwiched several times by facets. The big break we saw in our ECT was about 22” down. We dug a pit at 9000’ NE facing. The fracture was clean. Took two tries to get what we were looking for. First- ECTP28 Q2. Second- more representative; same pit with a cleaner column, ECTP14, Q1 (fast and forceful). So cool to see at a safe vantage point. Slope angle was 35-40.
Comments
Beautiful Christmas Eve. Out early enough to have time to fight the crowds for Christmas gift at the mall. Noticed riming at the tops of trees above 9000’.
Photo: big chunk of column...damp and heavy with some energy. Beautiful powder, not to be messed with.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Considerable
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable
