Aspen
SnowpackColin Mitchell · Feb 10, 2017 · Aspen
Weather
Warm and very windy. Winds were gusting into the 60's and 70's, making walking, skinning, or even standing on the ridge challenging. A little snow was blowing around, but there is not much snow left to move above treeline. Winds were moderate and gusty down to the valley floors by midday.
Snowpack
Exceptional coverage in the area. Lot's of evidence of previous wind loading. Dunes, drifts, and slabs were visible on the slopes on both sides of the ridge. Cornices are getting large. The snow on the ridge was hard enough to make skinning difficult. The snow surface was getting wet up to about 11,000' by 11 am. Lower down, trails were sticky and snow was quite wet. No avalanche activity of any kind was observed.