There were lots of tracks all over that place around Jones Pass. Below treeline the snowpack was pretty supportable, with maybe 10cm of ski penetration. I broke trail and did not notice any signs of cracking or collapsing below treeline. As I moved into the near treeline and alpine, I found some variable surface conditions of 10-20cm of new snow resting on a very hard ( I couldn’t get my ski edge into the wind board). I noticed a few small avalanches directly below cornices, but nothing breaking more profound in the Jones Pass area. However, as I summited point 12,700 and looked into the William’s Fork and other drainages behind Jones Pass, I saw several avalanches that were large enough to bury or kill a person. The avalanches I mention here will be coded in another observation.

Jones Pass

From the Jones Pass trailhead, I followed the road up to the easternmost portion of the Jones Pass area to the ridge between Butler Gulch.

I observed a snow depth of 105 cm at an elevation of approximately 11,800 feet on a northwest-facing slope. In this area, I obtained propagating results in long column tests (ECTP21 and PST40/100 END), both of which indicated instability in the basal weak layers located 50 cm above the ground.

Additionally, at around 12,700 feet on an east-facing slope, I recorded a snow depth of 225 cm and found hard-propagating results 50 cm from the surface.

In both snowpits, I encountered a new persistent grain that varied in burial depth. On the northwest-facing slope, this grain was located 10-15 cm below the surface. There isn't a sufficiently thick slab above this layer, which could pose a risk, especially if we receive more snowfall. Conversely, this layer was found at a depth of about 50 cm on the east-facing slope. Here, I would be more concerned about the margins of the slope and the potential for triggering a much larger avalanche.

It was a sensational Colorado Bluebird Day! There were light winds, but other than that, it was a pleasant day overall.