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Observation: Soldier Peak

Observation Date
1/2/2020
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Soldier Peak
Location Name or Route
Soldier Pk, Butler Fork
Weather
Sky
Obscured
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
Mostly cloudy with a few sucker holes toward the end of the day. Light snow showers, mostly graupel, moderate winds on the peak, looked like stronger wind in more exposed higher elevations.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
12"
New Snow Density
Medium
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments
There was around a foot of new snow in the Mill D, Butler area, a mixture of graupel and stellars made for medium density powder on all aspects.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Wind Loading
Poor Snowpack Structure
Comments
Travel today was up Mill D north into Butler Fork to Soldier Pk or the Nipple which ever you prefer. Ended up breaking trail from Dog Lake on, the new storm snow in non-wind affected terrain didn't seem to be enough weight on it's own to cause avalanching, but as soon as you got into winded terrain you could easily note a slab sitting on light density snow underneath and in some spots it was sitting on buried surface facets or surface hoar. Quick hand pits like Greg Gagne was using yesterday was the best way to identify the storm slab on light density set up, many of these columns failed upon isolation, or with a little tap. I would not be comfortable skiing anything steep enough to avalanche with this type of set up. I would think this instability would settle out with a little time, the wind is the main player now, if it continues to blow and transport snow to leeward slopes it may continue to overload the fragile layer underneath. I'm not sure but I don't think the new load is enough to reactivate the PWL down by the ground, I'll guess we'll see when we get some decent visibility.
photo: is of the wind filling in our skin trail each time we used it. And the video is one of the many quick pits we dug in winded terrain.
Video
Today's Observed Danger Rating
High
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable