Observation Date
2/2/2021
Observer Name
Catino
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Days Fork » Chicken Sh#! Ridge
Location Name or Route
Days Fork
Comments
Warm and windy day for a walkabout, gathering data from the recent storm and digging several pits to track the progress - or lack there of - our weak layers here.
In short, the junk show of snow in Days Fork finally started to become unglued. Several avalanches noted on E, SE, and NE.
The Main Days avalanche was impressive and actually after walking for a few minutes following digging my NE aspect pit, I noticed debris. Initially I thought a small roll broke, but then came upon the far skiers left slide on the bottom roll. However, that one was smaller in comparison to the train of snow that had channeled approx 1,000' down the center gully - from the SE side giving way and also likely some slides that ran during the storm on the NE. See avalanche report for details.
All of this was impressive and I would bet we see more of these slides in this drainage with additional loads - running large and close to full track, even if there are some tracks in the gully of Crystal Palace currently... In comparison the SE slide of Main and on the ridge of Banana/Crystal I posted, are very similar to the aspects which have a few tracks in it currently down the gully - scary place to be. Especially with an ECTP 30 result, that block of snow is hard to trigger but heavy and nasty when it goes.
Most photos are my two pits - one on the NE at 9000 and one SE at 9600, also one informal pit on lower Chicken Shit ridge - which has poor structure. Heads up in this drainage this year.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Considerable
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable