Front Range
SnowpackAndrew McWilliams · Jan 17, 2023 · Front Range
Weather
There were enough short windows of sun to warm temperatures into the twenties although skies were broken all morning. Winds were light near and below treeline from the southeast.
Snowpack
We ascended through below treeline south-facing slopes until we reached the north-south oriented drainage. There was not continuous snow cover on that slope and the height of the snow appeared to be 30-60cm with lots of logs and bushes poking out. As we ascended into the higher end of the below treeline elevation band and contoured onto easterly-facing slopes, the height of snow increased to about 80-100cm. Where I dug my snowpit on a near treeline east-facing slope the height of snow was greater than 120cm. The snowpack was supportable to skis on the ascent and I only punched through the slab into weaker snow near the creek bed on the egress. The slab was supportable to boots as well and penetration was only about 40cm - 20cm while skinning. There was a layer of more recent precipitation particles and decomposing fragments above a slab of rounds which rest on basal facets. There is still evidence of a melt-freeze crust in the facet layer, but it was almost completely decomposed and only one hardness step above the facet layer itself. Hard and propagating Extended Column Test results were below this old crust within the depth hoar layer. There was not any loading occurring in the near treeline elevation band and the newest snow was low-density and did not have a slab quality where we skied.