In search of the March 3rd persistent weak layer, we found it above 11,500ft on east-facing slopes. Even finding this layer in a couple of different areas, it reacted differently with Extended Column Tests. In a sheltered area around 11,800ft, melt water appeared to have penetrated 75cm from the surface over the last few days with warm temperatures with no propagation. Meanwhile, 200ft higher at 12,000ft on the same aspect, we got propagation from 9 hits down about 20cm from the elbow. This layer appears to be there, but it is challenging to pinpoint where it lives or how reactive it is. You’ll only know by digging down in the snow 1-3 feet, as we saw no signs of instability like cracking or collapsing.

Below 11,500ft, snow on east through southeast to south-facing slopes became pretty moist in the afternoon but was still supportable on skis with no pinwheels forming.

Watrous Gulch

Watrous Gulch

The snowpack is in a weird place right now. There is a bit of spring-like snow in places with the sun angle and warm temperatures, but most of it remains mostly cold winter snow. Do not be fooled by the warm weather; there is still dry, weak, cold snow near the base of the snowpack, where you could trigger a large avalanche.

The average snow height around the near treeline band is around 150cm; the deepest I probed was 2m, and the shallowest was 90cm. Most places we dug had at least one melt-freeze crust 2cm thick and Pencil to Knife hard. In the sheltered east-facing snow pit at 11,800 ft, we found an Ice layer down 75cm, where meltwater pooled over the last several days. However, just 200 ft higher, we did not find this ice layer, likely due to the shade of a tree; this ice layer is inconsistent across the terrain right now.

When we moved to southerly-facing terrain, we found a supportable Knife-hard melt-freeze crust just below the surface snow. Below that was a small layer of facets, but they were unreactive in long-column tests. While the basal layers are gaining some strength there, there are still somewhat large facets that are only four Fingers in Hardness.

It was a breezy but warm day with some snow blowing around.