Observation Date
12/31/2012
Observer Name
Weed, McAvoy, Dymirski
Region
Logan
Location Name or Route
Mendon Peak, Northwest Bowl
Weather
Sky
Obscured
Wind Direction
North
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Cold and foggy at higher elevations, in ice cloud with rime occurring. Clouds lifted a bit in the late afternoon.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
2"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments
nice fast powder conditions, but not as deep as in the Bear River Range. Overall snowpack also shallower and a bit bush choked in Deep Canyon.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Cracking
Red Flags Comments
We noticed evidence of fairly recent HS ( wind slab?) activity off the east side of Mendon Peak in upper Bird Canyon. Also triggered some localized cracking in stiff old wind slabs around a foot deep on the west side of ridge.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wet Snow
Trend
Same
Problem #1 Comments
As Darren descended into the fog, he not surprisingly triggered a sluff . It gained width in descent and ran pretty far down slope. All the moving snow around him caused a moment of panic in the isolating and disorienting fog, but the snow washed around him and he stayed on his feet.....
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Same
Problem #2 Comments
We triggered some cracking in old stiff wind drifts in exposed upper elevation terrain. There is plenty of powdery snow on the ridges and on windward slopes that will easily be drifted into starting zones if the wind picks up....
Comments
The rime creating ice cloud lifted late in the afternoon, and we could finally see what we were dealing with. Darren removing skins near the summit of Mendon Peak...
I was able to get this foreshortened view of the triggered sluff on our way out in the evening... And here's a poorly lit view of the hard slab chunks we observed in upper Bird Canyon on the east side of Mendon Peak. The blocky debris was spread over a very broad area and ran a good way down slope.
