North side Mt Sproatt
Snowpackbrettcarroll0928 · Dec 29, 2020 · Brandywine
Quick report
- Weather
- cloudy
- Ride Type
- openTrees, mellowSlopes
- Riding Quality
- good
- Snow Conditions
- powder
- Avalanche Conditions
- avalancheConditionSlab
Snowpack
- Depth
- 240
- Obs Type
- point
- Site Aspect
- N
- Site Elevation
- 1550
- Site Elevation Band
- tln
- Surface Conditions
- newSnow
Dug a test pit at 1550m on a N-facing slope near treeline. HS 240 cm. Did two adjacent compression tests. Test 1: CTE5 uneven break down 20cm on a density change. CTH29 uneven break down 60cm on decomposing surface hoar layer. After removing this top 60cm we did another CT on the shortened column, with CTH23 sudden planar 115cm below surface on 1mm facets above thick rain crust. Test 2: CTE10 uneven break down 20cm on density change. CTH 27 down 40cm on a different decomposing surface hoar layer. Overall impressions are that in this location buried surface hoar seemed to have been broken down significantly, but could still be problematic in more sheltered areas. The facet layer over the rain crust is scary. As it gets buried deeper it will become increasingly difficult to trigger, but is capable of producing large avalanches.