Observation Date
12/30/2020
Observer Name
Jessie Haffener
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Grizzly Gulch » Michigan City
Location Name or Route
Michigan City
Red Flags
Red Flags
Cracking
Collapsing
Poor Snowpack Structure
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Problem #1 Comments
As part of a Utah Mountain Adventures Level 1 travel day my student stomped on a small wind loaded test slope at 10,400' on a due W aspect of Michigan City and initiated a 25 ft shooting crack and large collapse. I dug a pit and got ECTP14 down 33 cm on F hard facets above a very thin deteriorating crust (<1cm). HS=82 cm. 41 degrees. Slab was F to 1F hard. After the test we got another large collapse at the location.
Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Problem #2 Comments
While filling in the snowpit mentioned above, my student initiated a 7' wide wind slab from her skis that released down 15 cm on the new old interface. W and WNW aspects from Michigan City to the shoulder above East Bowl Pass were wind loaded with some cornicing evident. These wind slabs are getting more stubborn to trigger with each passing day.
Comments
Surface snow on shaded northerlies is covered in very small surface hoar. I was also finding the surface hoar on solar aspects. Steep S and SW aspects are starting to form a slide for life crust.
Video
Today's Observed Danger Rating
None
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
None
Coordinates
