Dug a hole on Julie's Backside on a NE aspect at 10,940. I found a deep, strong snowpack with the buried facets down 140cm below the surface. A Deep Tap test yielded a DT23 BRK (an irregular, non-planar fracture on 23 taps). For full details see the profile below.
We have a deep snowpack on Northerly aspects. In sheltered areas that are not loaded, I've been probing on average 170-190 cms. On Monday, I traveled across heavily drifted Northerly aspects between Tele Gold and Lone Pine and probed up to 265 cm in more than one location. Here are some things I have been observing lately that suggest to me a general trend toward stability:
- The buried weak layer is so deep that it is becoming difficult to dig down to
- The weak layer can no longer be affected by Extended Column Tests and I have to resort to Deep Tap Tests
- Column tests are no longer failing with planar shears.
- Small temperature gradients exists throughout the snowpack including across the weak layer of facets.
- Facets are showing signs of rounding.
The deeply buried weak layer is easily seen here. It is the dark gray line near the bottom of the pack.
