Observation Date
12/29/2021
Observer Name
Ratliff/Stauss
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Mill D North » Powder Park
Location Name or Route
Powder Park 3
Comments
We dug along the Powder Park 3 skin track, N facing at 8900 feet. Our pit was 90 cm deep and the top 75cm was consistently fist to four finger to one finger, the bottom 15 cm sitting on the ground was the early season snow turned to facets. It is an obvious set up to see and feel. Fortunately we know it's there and we can avoid by sticking to low angle terrain or aspects without the old snow.
Our results - CT18, 20 cm down, ECTN. That being said, we used our shovels to sheer the 90 cm block away from the wall and the whole slab easily slid as one cohesive piece on the facets. While it's harder to get results or see obvious signs of weakness and the slab is getting more stubborn, it is very much still active and I will be avoiding avalanche terrain for the foreseeable future. This pit also goes to show that while we are building a deep snowpack in many places, it's not hard to hit a shallow spot.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Considerable
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
None
Coordinates