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Observation: White Pine

Observation Date
12/11/2023
Observer Name
Bruce Tremper
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » White Pine
Location Name or Route
White Pine
Weather
Sky
Few
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
12"
New Snow Density
Medium
Snow Surface Conditions
Dense Loose
Snow Characteristics Comments
Surface snow is several days old, dense and surfy, rimed and slower than powder.
Snow Profile
Aspect
Northeast
Elevation
8,200'
Comments
General observations from a day out with friends: Previous reports of generally stable conditions and healing faceted layers from Little Cottonwood Canyon seem correct. The snow feels much different in LCC than the Park City ridgeline or Mill Creek where the snow is about half the depth with the faceted layers still down there. I didn't graph it but I dug one snowpit at 8,200', NE facing on a gentle slope and found a little over a meter of total snow and surprisingly no concerning weak layers. No propagation on extended column tests and compression tests. Similar results on quick hand pits and probing. There are tracks in larger, consequential terrain without triggering avalanches. For instance, the northwest aspect of Red Baldy has quite a few tracks including from the summit. We felt comfortable descending lower-consequence 35-degree slopes in the forest on the Spire. That thick, warm, dense snowstorm a couple storms ago was a fabulous base-builder and helped to settle the deep, faceted layers.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Moderate
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate
Coordinates