Northern San Juan

Snowpack

Susan Hale · Feb 28, 2011 · Northern San Juan

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Weather

Clear and calm and very warm below treeline. Winds increased in the open alpine zones (a few plumes seen on isolated higher elev. peaks.

Snowpack

Surface: Strong sun quickly warmed the snowpack on east facing uptrack. Felt like spring - skins gooping up at times. North remained cold powder and good riding. Expect good mf crust on E-S-W (already experienced some thin crust). Pit dug on SE aspect, near tl on shoulder of Riley Boy. It was a 150cm pile of wind-slab after wind-slab with numerous Q1 to Q2 interfaces. This was all perched on a thick basal layer of larger facets that began at 55cm from the ground. * Consistent results in 3 layers: * 2 CT 11 Q1 down 20cm * Most troubling layer was 30cm down - CT17 & 21 Q1. Felt that a slide triggered at this depth could potentially step down into deeper layers. * Third was the interface of the whole upper slab and the basal facets/dh - CT25 Q1 & a Q2.