Observation Date
2/23/2015
Observer Name
Evelyn
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » White Pine » No Name Peak
Location Name or Route
Red Pine to No Name Peak, Lake Chute to White Pine
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Direction
Southeast
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Cool temperatures, light to no winds except on the highest ridge lines, where you could still see occasional plumes.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
4"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Faceted Loose
Wind Crust
Melt-Freeze Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments
It turned into more of a mountaineering-like tour at times - ski crampons weren't enough. Went to booting, and an ax or whippet might have been nice for a short section. Very wide variability in snow surface conditions - 2 to 6" of new snow, cracky soft to hard wind slabs, hard melt freeze crusts that didn't soften, scoured areas, icy in upper Lake Chute, and some very nice soft snow on wind sheltered slopes.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Cracking
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
A scattering of small avalanches, mostly at the upper elevations, on northwest, north and northeasterly facing slopes, most above 10,000'. Many little cross loaded pockets and drifts noticable. Timing of slides uncertain, photos below. Of as much interest, was the weak snow on westerly as well as northerly facing slopes - pockets of near surface facets and recrystalized grauple, facets beneath melt freeze-crusts. It's making me reevaluate the distrabution of the weak surface snow at the upper elevations. I wonder what the upper elevations of high peaks in the Provo area mountains hold.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Problem #1 Comments
Lots of small natural wind slabs in both Red Pine and White Pine - hard to determine when they released. The wind got well down into the open bowls and into mid elevations. They were still trying to trip me up all the way down to the flats in White Pine, at least to 9,000', if not lower.
Comments
Slides below from Red Pine, White Pine, Red Pine. Medium to hard slabs. Small enough they are only a concern if you were in the wrong terrain, and could be pushed into trees, over rocks, or taken for a long ride.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Low
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Low
