Observation Date
12/20/2019
Observer Name
Mark Staples
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Lake Desolation
Location Name or Route
Lake Desolation under PC Ridgeline
Comments
Dug two snowpits above Lake Desolation. One on a NW aspect and one on NNE aspect. Both had OBVIOUS weak facets within the bottom foot. This layer has not gone away. It has gone dormant and will awaken if/when we get a major load of new snow. How much? It might take 2 inches of SWE in 24 hours. Less than this might not be enough.
Three photos below are from the first snowpit location (9700 ft, NW). Snowpilot isn't working for a pit graph. Here are the details:
HS 145cm
Facets (1-2mm) under a crust 40 cm above the ground
Tests failed just under that crust: ECTP28 & PSTend 44/110
What was interesting is that I found surface hoar that was observed around Dec 10 and buried on Dec 12. It never became a problem.
Video
Check out the podcast referenced in the video HERE
Second pit was about 300 feet lower on a NNE aspect. Again, facets at the ground were obvious.
HS 125cm
Fist+ hardness Facets fractured at 25 cm above the ground.
ECTP27
The surface hoar observed on Dec 10 and buried on Dec 12 was in this pit as well (double layer evident in pit wall) and fractured the same time as the facets near the ground did.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate
Coordinates