Observation: Grizzly Gulch

Observation Date

4/16/2024

Observer Name

Zimmerman-Wall

Region

Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Grizzly Gulch

Location Name or Route

Grizzly Gulch

Weather

Sky

Broken

Wind Direction

Northwest

Wind Speed

Light

Weather Comments

Toured from 0900-1040. Winds were almost calm. Hanging cloud deck around 9000' lifting to 10,000'. Temps stayed cool enough.

Snow Characteristics

New Snow Depth

New Snow Density

High

Snow Surface Conditions

Powder

Snow Characteristics Comments

High density smoothed a lot of the rough surfaces out. However lots of old debris from the last week of warmth was still visible on all aspects where the slope angle was steep enough to produce loose wet and wet slab avalanches. New snow was dense enough to keep you off the spongy partially refrozen former surface on low angle terrain. Boot penetration 20cm (15cm new and then 5cm into the old surface) at 9,000' and above.

Comments

Good to ride some fresh. Poked around at structure and we are well on our way to a homogeneous spring snowpack. No signs of instability in the new snow noted during tour. Alta and Snowbird looked to have had some natural wet loose and explosive triggered sluffs, but no slabs to speak of.

1. Clouds and sun in lower Wolverine, no greenhousing during tour

2. Old debris in Heavens Gate

3. Old wet slab between Culps and Grizzly cup still visible

4. Overall coverage on South facing still looking alright above 9,000'

5. Snow profile of upper 85cm just above the Twin Lakes Pass.

6. New snow 2mm graupel

7. Melt forms and polycrystals 3-4mm in size

8. Rounded grains <0.5mm in size