Observation: Broads Fork

Observation Date
2/15/2013
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake
Location Name or Route
Broads Fork to Mill B South
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Nice clear and sunny day with a cool breeze that kept the snow from getting to damp.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Wind Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

Nice settled powder in the wind protected terrain, with about 12 inches of ski penetration. Wind skin on the upper elevation terrain in none wind protected areas, but still fun to ski.

Comments

Travel today was the lower rock slabs E facing in Broads, Bonkers, the Diving Board, Eny, Meany into Mill B. There is quite a bit of Spatial variability in Broads Fork. Lower down in the drainage on the rock slabs the snow is 2, 2.5ft deep with most of it being rotten loose facets but lacking a slab or weight. Bonkers and the Diving Board have a deeper and more stable snow pack that is lacking much of the loose facets, seems like both have avalanched at least once. Hiking up the West facing to get to Eny Meany was probably the weakest snow of the day, shallow snow pack, 2 to 3ft with the new snow on top of a crust with about a foot of rotten facets at the ground. Eny Meany's snow pack is much like the lower rock slabs but a bit deeper. No cracking or collapsing, or other instabilities noted today, did not get warm enough for any wet activity in the terrain covered, but the W-SW facing was getting damp in the afternoon. Pics, wind damage in the upper bowl of Bonkers, texture of the snow in Bonkers, some of what looks like wind damage is actually grauple that has rolled down the hill and formed a kind of grauple sand dune, old avalanche in upper Bonkers, Diving Board tracks.