Front Range

Snowpack

Touring from Butler Gulch, over into the Woods Creek Drainage, and then into Herman Gulch on Friday 4/22 we found great stability and very varied snow conditions. Winds were high, but from all directions and consequently not causing any heavy loading on any one aspect. Above treeline we found a combination of windcrusts (2-4cm), suncrusts (2-4cm) and blown in powder (2-12cm). All with a frozen base. At and below treeline we were still seeing a soaked layer beneath the newer snows, and wet, unconsolidated junk below that. The only evidence of natural activity we saw was in wet slides from rocky areas just below treeline. (n & s aspects, 2 slides), and in a cornice break and narrow but long slide on the northeast side of Citadel.=