Steamboat & Flat Tops
SnowpackDan Edmiston ยท Dec 22, 2013
Weather
Snow fall at 1cm/hr for most of the tour. Snow continued at this rate for most of the afternoon and into the evening. Winds moderate with gusts in the upper range of moderate at ridge lines. Snow transport was moderate. Visibility limited to less than a mile at the most.
Snowpack
New snow about 6-8 inches. Reactive facet/ice layer was still present in snowpack but was a little more stubborn than last week (CTM12 SC). New snow was sticking to the old snow pretty well. One event of whumphing was heard on the tour. Old storm slab from last week felt a little more consolidated under foot during the descent but never indicated that it was bridging our weight or on the verge of breaking loose. 35-45 degree pitches skied without any protest from the snow. Slab still fell apart in the pit pretty close to what it did previously. Deep tap test couldn't get the basal facets to fail. Good amount of resistance to pry the remaining column off.