Observation: Chicken Sh#! Ridge

Observation Date

12/20/2025

Observer Name

Meisenheimer / Maushund

Region

Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Days Fork » Chicken Sh#! Ridge

Location Name or Route

Spruces to Chicken Sh#! Ridge

Weather

Sky

Overcast

Wind Direction

West

Wind Speed

Moderate

Weather Comments

Calm wind off the ridges. Along the ridge top, the wind was gusty with no active drifting. Warm temps all day.

Snow Characteristics

New Snow Depth

New Snow Density

Medium

Snow Surface Conditions

Powder

Damp

Snow Characteristics Comments

We finally hit cold snow starting around 8,500 feet. Below this elevation, the snowpack is completely saturated and isothermal, and avalanche danger is LOW. Above 8,500 feet, the snow transitions to dense powder coupled with graupel. There was roughly 5 inches of new snow sitting on the old snow surface. Riding and turning conditions were excellent in this upper-elevation terrain.

Red Flags

Poor Snowpack Structure

Avalanche Problem #1

Problem

Persistent Weak Layer

Problem #1 Comments

We continue to find two persistent weak layers in the snowpack. The first sits near the ground on slopes facing west through north through east at the mid and upper elevations. The second is a shallower weak layer 3–8 inches below the surface, sitting just beneath a crust.

We found this structure to be reactive on an east-facing slope at 8,500 feet, where our pit produced an ECTP20, indicating the slab can still propagate when triggered (see video).

Avalanche Problem #2

Problem

Wind Drifted Snow

Problem #2 Comments

While we didn’t observe any active wind drifting, it’s likely there are still wind-affected slopes out there. The most suspect terrain right now is steep, upper-elevation, rocky slopes that have been wind-loaded. In these areas, it would be possible to trigger an avalanche that fails on our persistent weak layer (PWL).

Comments

Photo 1: Looking into Cardiff.

Photo 2: I promise it's not pee.

Photo 3: Brooke can shred.