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Observation: Red Pine Gulch

Observation Date
2/11/2016
Observer Name
Bruce Tremper
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Red Pine
Location Name or Route
Red Pine to upper bowl
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Yup, another one of those magical days. Very warm up above the choking layer of cold smog in the valleys.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Dense Loose
Faceted Loose
Wind Crust
Melt-Freeze Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

The snow is very old and worn out. Perhaps I've seen more tracks in the Wasatch before but I can't remember when. "Rode hard and put away wet", is the way a horse person would put it. Yes, you can still find some scraps of soft, dry, loud powder that could pass for powder if you didn't know better, but only on the straight north, or perhaps a trifle northeast, aspects. The access trails are all rock hard. You could probably jog to the Pfeifferhorn in tennis shoes with Yaktrax if you were so inclined. All the other aspects are sun crusted or damp, depending on the time of day.

This is a good time to do some long tours or just go exploring to places you've always wanted to visit.

Here's the real reason to get into the mountains:

Red Flags
Red Flags Comments
No red flags that I could see. It's all pretty dull for an avalanche geek unless you enjoy watching near surface faceted snow and surface hoar grow by the day. All the surface snow is getting quite weak and it's going to be quite a rodeo if we ever get a load on it.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wet Snow
Problem #1 Comments

With some wet, loose activity perhaps a couple days ago, things seem to be fairly well settled down. It was a little cooler today than a couple days ago. The snow surface is getting damp and wet and you might be able to get some sluffs going on very steep slopes up in the rocks but most of the snow seems content to stay put. There still doesn't seem to be enough energy to produce percolating melt water deeper than just the surface layers. Perhaps moderate danger in the heat of the afternoon will cover it.

Comments

I did not take the time to dig any profiles because everything seems quite stable. Mostly low danger everywhere and perhaps moderate in the heat of the afternoon for wet sluffs. All the wind slabs in the upper bowl seem pretty locked in.

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