Observation: Wolverine Bowl

Observation Date
2/26/2026
Observer Name
CStowe
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Wolverine Bowl
Location Name or Route
Brighton Backcountry
Weather
Sky
Few
Wind Direction
West
Wind Speed
Moderate
Weather Comments
Warm temps, but wind was keeping the snow surface cool. Moderate wind speeds, with strong gusts on the ridge lines, but quite nice just of the ridge.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
2"
New Snow Density
High
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Wind Crust
Rain-Rime Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments

Lots of different surfaces out there........Dense Powder, Wind board, rain crust, hard windslabs, and a little bit of powder.

Cornice growth is very evident, they are hard and stubborn, and very suspect.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Wind Loading
Cracking
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Lots of red flags, so god terrain and travel choices are the answer.
Comments

Left Brighton Resort from the Milly gate, battled the wind up the ridge on the boot pack to Milly peak. Then traversed the ridge to Wolverine Bowl. Made a nice low angle run through the surfy dense powder. Playing it safe we stayed riders right to avoid upper Mary Chutes, and made our way down the lower angle shoulder to Lake Martha with nice creamy turns. Hiked out to the Dog lake chutes for a return run back into the resort. Dog Lake chutes had a slight breakable crust, but still supportable in many locations.

A fair amount of old shallow wet avalanches from the dense snow in steep terrain, but didn't see any large avalanches from the last storm cycle. Some of them could have filled back in from the strong wind, and latest new snow.

Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate
Coordinates