Observation: Kessler Peak

Observation Date
2/19/2020
Observer Name
Chester
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Kessler Peak
Location Name or Route
Kessler. Argenta, high pockets, gods lawnmower.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Wind Loading
Cracking
Poor Snowpack Structure
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Problem #1 Comments
Wind drifted snow. I triggered one very small avalanche 8" deep 15' wide. N facing Argenta 9800' in trees @ final steep pitch 200' below ridge.
IsolaIted pocket. No snow transport today.
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Problem #2 Comments
West facing high-very small sample size but snow did not seem bonded very well to the very hard rime crust bed. Seemed to want to sluff more than slab. I am a bit more suspicious of west facing due to bigger change in hardness sluff wise, a better bed. Also west facing probably won't ski that well, bottom feeding. Bold lines west facing is bad idea imo.
East facing with some south had mellow zipper crust.
Had good view and rode north thru e facing which went thru a widespread natural cycle in mineral and cartiff fork
Pockety Slower moving sluffs today
Still bottom feeding Dickens crust in spots. There is a ton of variability across the range w this crust.
Mid elevation(7000 -8000ish) is very well filled in-may be as fat as I can remember.
Nice day to be in mts!
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate