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Observation: Gobblers

Observation Date
3/6/2015
Observer Name
Toddeo
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Mill Creek Canyon » Mill A » Butler Fork » Gobblers
Location Name or Route
Gobblers
Weather
Wind Speed
Calm
Weather Comments
Slight breeze above 9500' in the afternoon, ballcap skiing all day. Warm.......
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Dense Loose
Faceted Loose
Melt-Freeze Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

Mixed bag as to be expected this time of year.

South aspects above 9,000' took longer to soften and get damp than I expected, a slight crust on the south aspects of the cabin run. Surface hoar is broken down on these aspects. Sunny aspects on the main gobblers exit had a crust after they went into the shade this afternoon.

No rollerballs or signs of damp snow on west or northwest aspects today.

Surface on northerly aspects has surface hoar and is weakening. Wind slabs/drifts along the summit ridge of Gobblers are breaking down, softer than expected.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Rapid Warming
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Calling the warm temps a red flag, moderate danger, perhaps considerable on steep aspects, south 1/3 of the compass. One item of note is some poor snowpack structure. Hand pits and quick columns/ECTs on the upper portion of the cabin run indicate a 4" thick layer of well defined to slightly rounding facets below the storm snow from the last storm cycle. HST in this area was approximate 18 to 20", some of which may be drifted in. This may be analogous to what was observed in the Butler Basin Slides from earlier this week. All columns/ECTs were easy to isolate but broke (Q3 at best) with an esy push in the facets. All ECTs were negative. Butler basin slides were impressive for that area. Of note is the slide on the Swedish Corner of Gobblers SE bowl (N facing), it broke mid-slope, scary. snow on the central ridge to the south of Davis Gulch was shallow and rotted.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
New Snow
Trend
Same
Problem #1 Comments

Based on activity this week and the faceted snow we found. Moderate danger.

Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Wet Snow
Trend
Same
Problem #2 Comments

Based on warm temps

Comments

I included photos of this weeks naturals in David Gulch.

The 1st one is 125' wide and looks like a shallow slab on a southerly aspect. Ran about 100-200 vertical feet.

The remaining photos are of the main gut of Davis Gulch, Start zone and then looking up and down from the inflection point where the main shot starts to flatten. This slide ran at least 1,500 vertical feet. This was humbling to look at, would have been a nasty ride!

Also noted a lot of activity in Main Porter.

Some minor wet activity noted around rock outcropds today.

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