Observation: Days Fork

Observation Date
11/30/2013
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Days Fork
Location Name or Route
Silver Fork, Days Fork
Weather
Sky
Clear
Weather Comments
Another sunny warm day.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Faceted Loose
Wind Crust
Melt-Freeze Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

Snow conditions were highly aspect dependent. Protected north was holding faceted loose snow almost through the entire snow pack. Slopes in unprotected ENE facing were a mixed bag of facets an crust, you could be wallowing in pure facets one moment and ten feet farther you could be slipping on a hard wind slab, this type a variable conditions will make it tricky when we do get a decent load of snow. South facing aspects were either damp, dirt, or holding a melt freeze crust.

Comments

Wondered through the north facing starting zones in Silver and Days forks to see how advanced the faceting was getting. Most of the starting zones that were not wind effected were very loose facets to the ground, not a good sign for future snow loads. Not quite as cut and dry was the wind effected terrain, You could be skiing down a slope with a stout wind slab underneath it and be fine, but there's always the chance that the wind slab is only on the upper part of the slope and when you ride off the wind slab you might be able to trigger an avalanche mid-slope. Guess we will have to wait and see what happens when it snows, but maybe a good thing to keep in the back of your mind. Photos old stress crack in Days Fork fractured but did not slide, surface hoar growing in the bottom of Days Fork, did not note surface hoar on any slopes only facets.

Also, stumbled onto THIS AVALANCHE that probably released last weekend.

A few photos of coverage in Days and Silver. Main Days, Days Draw, raised tracks in the dirt SE facing West Bowl.

Today's Observed Danger Rating
Low
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Low