Observation Date
2/18/2026
Observer Name
Davis
Region
Uintas » Soapstone
Location Name or Route
Mirror Lake/Soapstone
Weather
Sky
Obscured
Precipitation
Moderate Snowfall
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
Winter was upon us today on Uintas. Our route started at the TH around 0900 with about 8-12" of fresh snow. Snowfall was steady, visibility was low, and the winds were gusty on the summit. However, it didn't take much elevation drop to find shelter from the winds.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
2.5'
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Dense Loose
Snow Characteristics Comments
In the high elevations above 8k feet we encountered thigh deep snow throughout the whole trip from around 25 to 30" deep. It was resting on about 8" of loose dense form last week and January (drought) facets. Basically, the snowpack felt bottomless today and our sleds felt like a boat trying to plane.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Heavy Snowfall
Cracking
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Through out the trip I side hilled several road cuts and initiated several small slides and produced a lot of shooting cracks. We even triggered a small slide on a road cut with the groomer. The avalanche danger is definitely high. Any slope we tickled, produced a red flag.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Same
Problem #1 Comments
The January drought layer was easy to find today on the road cuts. This slide was initiated from the snowcat.
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
New Snow
Trend
Same
Problem #2 Comments
With 2+ feet of new snow combined with the wind drifted snow all laying on top of the January drought facets its going to be a long while before we can safely venture into steeper terrain.
Comments
The snowpack felt bottomless on snowmobiles, or, like boat trying to plane. Off trail maneuvering was a struggle so we found ourselves sticking to road throughout most of the trip. Doing that alone we was able to get plenty of face shots and pow turns.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
High
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
High
