UDOT PLANNED AVALANCHE CLOSURES!!

Observation: Red Pine Gulch

Observation Date
4/18/2019
Observer Name
White, Cantino
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Red Pine Gulch
Location Name or Route
Red Pine Gulch
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Crisp and clear in the am quickly warming up as the day progressed, light winds from the SW up high.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Dense Loose
Wind Crust
Melt-Freeze Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
There was a little dense settled dry snow on the high N but between wind damage and the sun it was a rare commodity. All mid-elevation aspects where frozen up tight this morning as well as S,E and W up high. NE had a thin melt- freeze crust over settled powder which skied well when it softened not so much before it softened. By noon all aspects except high N were saturated.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Rapid Warming
Comments
Went up Red Pine thinking of high N White Baldy but ditched that idea when I saw it and it appeared wind hammered. Decided to give the NE-E facing Lake Shot a try, I was a little to early on my first run around10:00am and ended up skiing the run with a pliable melt-freeze crust which was a bit of work. Second run about an hour later was soft and consistent, but that was it, the sun this time of year leaves only a small window of good riding. We noted a few large wet loose slides off the E facing around noon, pretty predictable this time of year. The exit was a battle with suction cup snow slowing you to a stand still and some breakable crust in the shade to send you lurching.
Photos: wet activity on the E facing above the lake, wet activity on W facing at mid elevation, a wet slide on W facing that almost overran the summer trail, and the wet slide in Little Pine from yesterday
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate
Coordinates