Observation Date
1/30/2018
Observer Name
W. Deutschlander, E. Porter, S. House
Region
Uintas » Mirror Lake Highway » Trial Lake
Location Name or Route
Trial Lake & Moose Horn Campground
Weather
Sky
Few
Wind Direction
Southeast
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
A bit inverted, temps were warm and balmy at 10,400 (4°C). As the day progressed the winds drastically increased and the cloud cover rolled in. Even the stiff crusts could be seen getting shattered and flying around in the wind. Uinta's eauals wind and today was no different.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Melt-Freeze Crust
Rain-Rime Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments
Crusty. Some crust may have been from rime, a lot was from melt-freeze and it was very wide spread. It seemed like the higher we went the more prolific the crust was. Shiny and crusty, super fun.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
General poor structure. Hop off your machine and you would sink up to your waist. Upper elevations with wind and it was a much harder slab over the basal facets. Pack is mostly comprised off some type of a faceted grain.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Same
Problem #1 Comments
Garbage pouring out. Still found a bit of moisture in the basal facets, but it is doing little to heal other than to aid in clumping when squeezed. Where digging today, seemed like less moisture than in other areas in the range.
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Same
Problem #2 Comments
Naturals were seen off the backside of Bald. Nothing large, but all in leeward side of the wind.
Snow Profile
Aspect
East
Elevation
10,400'
Slope Angle
32°
Comments
Pulled this little one out, but only on the second pass after undercutting it the first time. Failed on the top of the basal facets. Snowpack was about half as deep as found elsewhere. Test slope on the bank of Trial Lake.
68° E, 9800ft. You can see the shattering of the rime/melt-freeze crust
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate
Coordinates
