Observation: Grizzly Gulch

Observation Date
3/29/2022
Observer Name
Catino
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Grizzly Gulch
Location Name or Route
Grizzy/Flagstaff
Red Flags
Red Flags
Cracking
Poor Snowpack Structure
Comments
Sort of a synopsis of the day and weather - as I had a morning group that skied to early afternoon and then did an evening run once the the heavier squall moved in.
Morning travel was up Grizzly to Patsy/Wolverine Bowl then down West Patsy. There was a couple inches of grauple which had good bonding. In addition there was also a bit of snirt - perhaps from the previous winds. The front came through on cue around noon with a burst of more grauple and then some S minus 1 snowfall - along with some claps of thunder!
While I was finding decent bonding in the new old interface. I wasn’t that psyched on the spotty nature of very weak grains and isothermal snow that existed down 60-90cm below the surface. On the way up, this was prevalent in areas that had some slight tree cover and existed below 10,000’, not surprising given the lack of cold temps lately. However I also found this at 10,200' on a NE aspect, near the lower wolverine chutes. In this area I was getting easy hand shears and some localized cracking 15cm below the surface. The weak layer was under the new and developing melt freeze crust. I suspect the snowpack will cool more, and maybe the new melt freeze crust will gain more strength, but it was something that I would suspect could cause trouble if found in mid elevation terrain where the freeze isn’t as strong and the MWFL was reactive prior to the warm up. A gauging slide with some fresh snow atop a snowpack that has yet to lock up is definitely on my radar, and I’m curious to see how the overall pack adjusts now with another cool night.
Post work tour travel was up Flagstaff ridge in the evening. Bouts of S1 to S2 snowfall with some grauple, and it was grim to see the Flag ridge so melted out. However good skiing where there was smooth surfaces and good bonding in the snow - about 5-6’’ at the time, with only minor sluffing that didn’t have much energy. No cracking/collapsing observed here on the southeast aspects. Towards the bottom, the soft and loose new old interface was apparent - it wasn’t punchy, but you could feel its isothermal qualities. Sorry no photos, it was western out there.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate
Coordinates