Observation: Moonlight

Observation Date
1/25/2016
Observer Name
larry dunn
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Mineral Fork » Moonlight
Location Name or Route
Mineral Fork BCC - Moonlight
Weather
Sky
Broken
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Weather Comments
The day was a mix of partly sunny, dense fog, and light snow flurries, one right after the other then repeat. There was no wind at mid slope.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
14"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments

Pretty much effort-less powder with some surface facets that must have formed overnight.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Red Flags Comments
There were some fairly large sluffs that came down off of very steep terrain from the ridge above Moonlight and also from the ridge that separates Moonlight from Highline.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Problem #1 Comments

Based on hasty pits along the skin track the snowpack is about 4-5' deep in this area. The new snow is low density powder, then there is a dense layer that is likely the high density snow from last Wednesday that has been further solidified by the wind just before the Saturday night storm. Below that is uniform snow, but there are still weak facets at the bottom of the pack on many of the hasty pits.

We did not go anywhere near the starting zones above the run. We skied multiple runs and although the terrain is generally low angle, there are a number of convex slope features with local steepness. None of these convex features or anything else was reactive when skied. We saw no cracks, felt no settlement. A skin track that was put in by another party on Sunday goes straight across a steep section of slope near the bottom of Moonlight just below a convex break over and despite its unfortunate location, all was well and staying in place.

Snow Profile
Aspect
Northeast
Elevation
9,100'
Slope Angle
30°
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Considerable
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable