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Observation: Cardiff Fork

Observation Date
12/15/2020
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Cardiff Fork
Location Name or Route
Ivory Flakes
Weather
Sky
Scattered
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Direction
West
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Cold with periods of light snowfall and also breaks of sun. Winds from the west increasing in the Cardiac area in the afternoon.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
5"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments
Seemed like another 5 or so inches from yesterday and last night. Low density 5% the snow on the due S got a little damp but not enough to be crusted tomorrow in the terrain covered.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Cracking
Collapsing
Poor Snowpack Structure
Comments
Headed up Cardiff Fork from BCC, made it into Cardiac then descended Ivory Flakes. On the way up I triggered an avalanche remotely from 30 feet away, wouldn't have know that it avalanched if I did walk around the corner. We had already experienced cracking and collapsing on our way up. The collapse was triggered on the NW facing then wrapped around to the due N and triggered a slide about 40ft wide, about a foot deep and ran to the bottom of the hill. I didn't put this on the avalanche list because it was more of a test slope and not a ski objective. That being said collapsing and cracking were the norm today and we stayed away from steep slopes of consequence for the rest of the day. We're in a tricky spot right now, the slopes with old snow that are better for skiing are also the most suspect, we are still lacking a consolidated slab but the writings on the wall and even taking a ride in a super soft slab is not recommended. I jump on many test slopes today most cracked and collapsed but only the steepest one released and actually slid, it was in the 35% range. It was kind of surprising how well connected the collapses were, we collapsed a couple slopes that spider webbed for a couple hundred feet. photos: avalanche and cracking, and a video with poor sound quality, what I was saying in the video is that we remotely triggered the slide from 30 ft. away it was at 9100ft due N and ran on a foot of large grain faceted snow.
Video
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Considerable
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable