Observation: Little Cottonwood Canyon

Observation Date
12/1/2018
Observer Name
Derek DeBruin
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon
Location Name or Route
Twin Lakes Pass and surrounds
Weather
Sky
Few
Precipitation
Light Snowfall
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Winds calm to light with a lingering flurries through mid-morning. Otherwise sunny and pleasant.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Density
Low
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Snow Characteristics Comments
Ski pen was 30cm or more. General theme was plenty of powder.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Heavy Snowfall
Red Flags Comments
Definitely recent avalanches today, noting three natural releases on our tour. A small slab broke on the steep northerly terrain just east of the lower NW ridge of Patsey Marley. Another slab fractured across two chutes in the Stupid Chute/Gordon's Folly zone. Finally, we saw a solar point release around 1030am beneath the Highway to Heaven Traverse. There was significant new snowfall with the latest storm cycle. However, it looked like the NW wind had under-produced in the Twin Lakes zone. There was fairly little cornicing above Patsey Trees and Black Bess and along the top of the Honeycomb Cliffs. Did not note any significant wind slab on SE slopes.
Snow Profile
Aspect
East
Elevation
10,000'
Slope Angle
30°
Comments
Dug a pit just east of Twin Lakes Pass (40.59441, -111.60902). No result from ECT. Basal facets were a bit dense and appeared to be rounding. Approx 15cm rounding facets at the ground, 15cm of 1F on top of this, 40cm of 4F, capped by 55cm of F snow.
East also aspects appeared increasingly stable. Noted numerous tracks below Cardiff Peak where there was an avalanche during the Thanksgiving storm cycle. Also noted a skin track below the Highway to Heaven traverse that featured a damp slide cross it less than an hour later. Still worth avoiding start zones even when stability is good. Unfortunately those pics are refusing to load.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
High
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
High