Front Range
SnowpackAnonymous · Jan 10, 2011 · Front Range
Weather
this afternoon s. diamond peak was mostly obscured by clouds, snowing lightly in small icy fragments, cold.
Snowpack
A crown looked 1-2 feet deep across the main run of the "wave" (on the face, south of the peak and steepest gully). A few turn track above the crown suggested it was the triggered avalanche reported yesterday, but visibility was poor. Debris almost to the bench where I could see it.
Storm snow was 12 inches deep around 11,000, in two layers with the top 4 inches more dense and stiff brittle. A quick 170cm pit in a nne facing gully forest opening near treeline showed easy clean failures at 10 cm 5 taps, 30 cm at 10 taps, and several more failures in deeper layers to 1m with about 20 taps.
Storm snow was 12 inches deep around 11,000, in two layers with the top 4 inches more dense and stiff brittle. A quick 170cm pit in a nne facing gully forest opening near treeline showed easy clean failures at 10 cm 5 taps, 30 cm at 10 taps, and several more failures in deeper layers to 1m with about 20 taps.