Bill Hunt

Ogden » Snowbasin Backcountry

Snowbasin Backcountry

I stayed on terrain I have been on repeatedly this season. A 9300' northfacing chute had some 4" surface cracking and manageable sluffing. I feel good cutting this chute, because I've done a lot of belayed booting compaction in there, including the "safe zones" that are below a few of the rock formations.

I've studied the rock locations in this area quite a bit in the past month; but I still hit rocks on an exit right today. Below is a photo of some unusual rocks mid-chute, 200 feet below the ridge, taken on 1/26/2014. 9100', northfacing. This area was scoured by a natural release in the previous storm cycle (not to the ground though). The natural was probably on Jan 9. That natural slide cycle resulted in hard bed surfaces that remain in this chute, and in many of the steeper north-facing chutes in Hells and elsewhere. These hard bed surfaces still tend to sluff easily. Good luck with rock avoidance if you are exploring above 9000'. I also grazed a stump today, around 8500'. I feel reasonably good about the snowpack stability right now (particularly areas I know have had some compaction this season), but the rocks and stumps are an ever-present concern. Keeping the speed down on anything I am not very familiar with, and wearing my usual protective gear (kneepads, wrist guards, helmet, etc).

Moderate

Moderate