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Observation: Mill B South

Observation Date
3/1/2016
Observer Name
Hardesty, Trenbeath
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Mill B South
Location Name or Route
Broads Fork - Mill B South
Weather
Sky
Scattered
Weather Comments
Enough warmth and sun to soften many of the mf crusts, particularly on the south and westerly aspects, and perhaps most particularly at the mid and low elevations.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Faceted Loose
Wind Crust
Melt-Freeze Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

The old joke at the avalanche center - "How do you know when it's Low danger?" "When the skiing leaves much to be desired." Grab bag of conditions out there. Maybe the other answer is "when you see multiple people skiing multiple lines on the Twins and everything else in sight."

Got out today with our forecaster in the La Sals/Abajos and "retired" Alta patroller Eric Trenbeath. Good company.

Red Flags
Red Flags Comments
No red flags. Not enough snow to be blown around; there has been enough sun/warmth for the snow to have well adjusted...and we're expecting a dry cold front tonight.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Gliding Snow
Problem #1 Comments

Grasping at straws here, really. Still, noted at least four glide avalanches in the Broads/Mill B complex. None were more recent than a week or so. Still, as you'll see in the close-up beneath the Twins, the stauchwall continues to dramatically buckle below the glide cracks.

Pics:

  1. Close up of buckled stauchwall.
  2. Old glide debris as reported by Larry Dunn's party from a few days ago.
  3. Glide crack
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Low
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Low