Observation Date
2/19/2015
Observer Name
Tim Beaman
Region
Ogden » Snowbasin Backcountry
Location Name or Route
Snowbasin periphery--Burch creek southwest from "Porky point" atop Porcupine Cirque
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Direction
West
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Many cycles of bright sunny days and freezing nights have set this mostly south-facing area up for excellent mid-April skiing conditions!
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Melt-Freeze Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments
From Porky point for an almost 2000 vertical foot drop into the heart of Burch creek canyon, strong sun served up a continuous pitch of perfect corn by noon.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Rapid Warming
Red Flags Comments
Small wet slides would be possible especially on steeper pitches as the afternoon sun continues the warm-up. Rock shrapnel from the bare ridges also peppers some areas of these slopes.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wet Snow
Trend
Same
Problem #1 Comments
With continued freeze/thaw cyles, low danger of wet avalanches. The snow pack is dense, frozen, and uncharacteriscally deep in places from previous cycles of cross-loading.
Burch canyon's south-facing slopes with "Porky point" on the right side of the ridge line. The Great Western Trail from Beus canyon follows this ridge over to Mt. Ogden.
Who counts a few turns in sagebrush to reach untracked, buttery corn?
Hot shrapnel bores into the snow.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Low
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Low
