Observation Date
12/19/2019
Observer Name
Wilson, Covington
Region
Provo » Provo Canyon » South Fork Provo R. » Big Springs
Location Name or Route
Big Springs
Comments
A quick north-facing test pit at 9,250 feet showed a thick slab overlying a weak but strengthening layer of basal facets. Although we got failure down 105cm on 2.5mm facets with elbow-taps in a compression test, we did not get propagation or failure in that layer in an extended column test. The facets were four-finger hardness, showing evidence of some bonding between facet grains. The layer was also very close to the ground, and was thus interrupted by rocks and bushes.
![](https://utahavalanchecenter.org/sites/default/files/styles/observation_image/public/images/observations/2019-20/20191219_195345.jpg?itok=bdO5GK8n)
Another party in the area had dug pits on upper elevation east-facing slopes, and reported that they did not find facets at the base. That is, they found a good, stable structure. The lovely ski tracks they left on east-facing avalanche terrain showed us that slope testing hadn’t proved them wrong. Our own exit was a low-angle north-facing slope, and we didn’t check east.
![](https://utahavalanchecenter.org/sites/default/files/styles/observation_image/public/images/observations/2019-20/Presentation1.jpg?itok=AoRRfOQ_)
We could see several avalanche crowns in upper elevations, north-west through north facing. We didn’t get into the paths to investigate, but suspect they failed in the 12/14 storm. We didn’t see anything that appeared to have gone into the old snow at the ground.
![](https://utahavalanchecenter.org/sites/default/files/styles/observation_image/public/images/observations/2019-20/20191219_195447.jpg?itok=GwXpaOxF)
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate
Coordinates