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Observation Date
1/5/2013
Observer Name
Bruce Tremper
Region
Salt Lake
Location Name or Route
White Pine - Lake Peak and Spire
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Speed
Calm
Weather Comments
Beautiful, warm, sunny day up above the chocking smog of SLC.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Faceted Loose
Snow Characteristics Comments
Still very good riding conditions in 1 foot of near-surface faceted snow on the shady slopes, sun crusted on the sun exposed slopes and old wind slabs above 10,000'
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem #1 Comments

It seems like it's a solid Low danger because it's probably the most ski tracks in more places than I have ever seen in White Pine. People have skied up almost everything from the very steep, upper peaks to obscure shots. The White Pine trailhead had more cars than I have ever seen with cars parked along the road for over a quarter mile in addition to a full parking lot. The trail was like a freeway. At first, I though it was mostly snowshoers but I did not see hardly any. Everyone I saw were skiers going absolutely everywhere.

I did not even bother to dig a snowpit since such widespread ski tracks is probably a better indicator of stability than digging in an extremely spatially variable snowpack.

The near-surface faceted snow is getting extremely weak and granular and sluffs easily on slopes around 40 degrees and steeper. All the other avalanche problems seem dormant right now with "normal caution" for old wind slabs up high, sluffing on steep slopes and perhas some wet, loose avalanhces on the steep, south-facing slopes.

Comments

Overflow cars were parked along the road for a quarter mile. There were more cars and more people than I have ever seen there.

Even all the upper slopes in the entire canyon have tracks all over them.