Observation Date
2/4/2023
Observer Name
S Donovan
Region
Provo » Santaquin Peak
Location Name or Route
Santaquin Peak
1st Photo:
One of the shallow slabs had run about 1000' in length from between 9600'-8600'.
Test blocks cut adjacent to the wind loaded area were failing just before being fully isolated.
These shallow wind slabs were few and far in between, but there was no discernable rhyme or reason why they seemed to exist on one sub-ridge but not the next.
2nd Photo:
Extended column tests performed on a West face at 10000' where a thin buried layer of facets still exists about 1' below the snow surface. I was unable to get any propagation with multiple ECT efforts.
3rd Photo:
Large avalanche, with ~new snow covering the debris (carnage) pile that extends for 1000s of feet.
These large tree snapping avalanches occurred in the main drainage off the North side of Santaquin peak and the neighboring sub drainages. There is about 24" of newer snow capping the debris piles/paths with rock hard ice chunks underneath. I am unsure when they occurred as there are no visible crowns on the upper head walls.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Considerable
Coordinates