Observation: Dry Fork of AF

Observation Date
4/11/2018
Observer Name
Mark white
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Alta Periphery » Dry Fork of AF
Location Name or Route
Gargoyles, Dry Fork
Weather
Sky
Few
Wind Speed
Calm
Weather Comments
Warm and sunny in the AM, increasing high clouds in the PM, light winds and warm temperatures
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Dense Loose
Wind Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments

N facing shady couloirs still had dense dry snow, all other aspects were damp by noon, S and E were becoming unsupportable by 2:00PM.

Comments

Went to ski some of the high elevation N facing couloirs in Dry Fork, the E facing was Corning up around 10:30 and rapidly became sloppy with last nights shallow refreeze. I did note some minor wet activity on the E-SE facing that consisted of point releases coming of the steeper rocky terrain. The N facing sunny aspects got damp ass well and roller balls were widespread when I skied a sunny N facing chute too late. One thing of interest is the lack of a slick rain crust, not sure if it was the high elevation or that Dry Fork was in the rain shadow being that its on the back side of the Wasatch.

Photos: boot pack in dry dense snow in a shady due N couloir, roller balls in a sunny N facing chute that I hit a little late, and wet activity from the last couple days that was fairly minor.

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