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Observation: Cardiff/Mineral

Observation Date
3/26/2017
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Cardiff/Mineral
Location Name or Route
Cardiff, Mineral
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Cold in the AM with clear skies and light winds, increasing clouds in the afternoon.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
5"
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

The 5 to 6 inches of new snow from yesterday, dried out nicely, with last nights clear skies and cold temperatures. Things started getting damp on SE around 11:30AM, but stayed dry on the high N facing at least to when we exited at 1:30PM.

Comments

Today travel was from Alta into Cardiff Fork with entry into Mineral Fork from Cardiac Ridge into the Room of Doom. The snow on Cardiac Ridge started to heat up around noon with damp snow on the SE facing and the E following close behind. When things started to go south on the Ridge it was time to move to the due N facing in the Room of Doom at the head of Mineral Fork. The new snow was starting to sluff quite a bit on Cardiac Ridge mid day, but not the same for N facing Mineral which continued to stay dry with minimal sluffing even in the steepest terrain. The E facing on the other hand had both dry long running natural sluffs and also wet activity by the time of our exit. Of note on our exit was a large rock slide on the lower portion of the road coming out of Mineral Fork which seemed to have happened during the heating of the day. It covered the lower portion of the road with large boulders and mud, we were walking by then because the snow runs out before the first switch back in Mineral Fork.

Photos: Skier triggered sluffs on Cardiac Ridge when the snow was starting to heat up, natural, long running dry sluffs in NE facing Mineral Fork, a natural wet slide on Barrieto E facing Mineral Fork, skier triggered sluff in the Room of Doom, rock slide in lower Mineral Fork covering the road, dry snow on high N facing.

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