Observation: Cardiff Fork

Observation Date
11/18/2014
Observer Name
mark white, Fred Staff
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Cardiff Fork
Location Name or Route
Cardiac Ridge
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Calm
Weather Comments
Clear, calm and warmer today.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Faceted Loose
Wind Crust
Comments

Went up Cardiff Fork from BCC to see what had happened in the last storm, I put the larger slide off of Cardiac Ridge in the Avy list. Basically all the high NE facing terrain off the top of Cardiac ridge had crowns in them, the top of the ridge with E aspects were still intact, from looking at the ridge before the storm I new the only places holding old faceted snow were NE facing and the E aspects were dirt. Didn't,t dig any pits or do any snow analysis there's plenty of that info out there, but I do think it is highly important to know what has avalanched and what hasn't and also the status of the bed surface, did it clean out the weak layer or is it still present. The bed surface of the slide on Cardiac Ridge told me the story, slick melt freeze crust and firm avy debris with 4 to 6 inches of slippery faceted snow on top, seems like a good candidate for a repeater in the next storm cycle, guess will wait and see, almost impossible to skin up in the starting zone due to the slippery facets. Also noted a few small pockets on LSB, but nothing in the bowl. Photos. crowns in the NE facing rock bans on Cardiac Ridge, Pockets on LSB, small pocket on SE facing LSB.

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