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Observation: Red Baldy

Observation Date
1/10/2015
Observer Name
Toddeo
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » White Pine » Red Baldy
Location Name or Route
White Pine - Red Baldy
Weather
Sky
Overcast
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
West
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Generally a dreay gray day with a few attempts at sunny breaks. A few flakes falling at the upper elevations.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Dense Loose
Wind Crust
Melt-Freeze Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

Mixed bag. Lower elevations were starting to soften at my 2 pm exit.

Sunny aspects are crusted, some supportable.

Protected north aspects contained some dense recrystallized snow.

Exposed north facing areas in the alpine contain a variety pack of surfaces ranging from stiff, supportable Windboard to a slight and sporadic melt freeze zipper crust. Exposed sunny aspects are capped by a melt freeze crust which is supportable in places.

On Red Baldy proper many areas are still plagued by a thin and mostly rotted snow pack. HS in other areas on the due north facing center portion is at least 140 cm deep with 10-20cm of rotted, loose dry rounded facets overlain by a supportive bridge (the recent warm weather helped with this). The rime crust is 30 to 40 cm below the surface. Still many areas of shallow rotting snow around the many exposed rocks. I did not feel that any single area was representative enough to warrant a detailed snow profile.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
The weak basal snow in this area was still bugging me enough to stop about 250' below the upper rock bands on the due north shot. I stopped in the area where the slope transitions from approx 35 degrees to steeper. Still feel that the bridge in may places is strong enough to justify a low danger but had some lingering doubts about pushing the slope angle higher with many thin zones. Very low reward potential for crud skiing!
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
New Snow
Problem #1 Comments

Generally a low danger. The cool after the last warm days seems to have helped.

Comments

The photo shows an area of stiff, almost supportable wind/warm temperature crust underlain by rounding facets, base of crust and facets are pointed upward. HS in this area was <60 cm in with some hollow areas around rocks at 10,000 elevation.

Danger is low. I think this is a good time to remind folks that low does not mean none.

I am typically a believer in not discussing ski conditions in my obs, however the term that came to mind today is annoying!

Today's Observed Danger Rating
Low
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Low