Steep Creek gear walk.

Quick report

Weather

cold

Riding Quality

good

Avalanche Conditions

avalancheConditionSnow

Weather

Started off clear and cold (around -15 at the lot). Became overcast by around 13:00 with light snowfall (S1) by the time we were ripping out the skier's pump track logging road.

Snowpack

Obs Type

point

Site Aspect

SE, SW

Test Fracture

sudden

Test Initiation

moderate

Test Failure Depth

40

Surface Conditions

newSnow, variable

We dug two pits side by each - one on a loaded feature, one on a scourged feature. Scoured test results: CTM17 sudden planar down 30 cm CTH27 sudden planar down 20 cm STE (shovel test) down 30 No deep tap results on a notable layer down 60 No results on an extended column test for the layer we were primarily concerned about down 30 cm. Storm snow failures were of progressive compressive nature. Wind loaded results: CTE6 progressive compression down 15 - wind transport weaknesses CTM17 sudden planar down 40 cm (as you might guess, this is the down 30 cm in the scoured area). We decided to not be moving through such variable terrain, as recent reverse winds made us suspicious about the variability and rapid changes as we moved through terrain. Ski cut on a NE slope produced nothing but sloughing of the upper 15 cm and knocked a small cornice off, again producing nothing. Good ski quality at upper elevations with supportive feeling snow under the 15 cm (yahoo!) and nothing wanting to move. Still some easy, planar hand shears on a hasty pit on the NE slope, but again, nothing really doing too much once loaded with a skier. Saw a few Na releases on NE and SW (on the Steep Peak headwall) slopes - seems to be within the upper 20 cm (maybe deeper on the SW slopes) Nothing but fun, a good look in the ol' snowpack, and a good outing out of the house for the hardly-ever-used snow pickets, the not-summer-sleeping cams and the still-as-sharp-as-ever sharp ice screws.