Aspen
SnowpackCarly Valerious · Dec 10, 2025 · Aspen
Weather
Above freezing with calm winds and few to no clouds in the sky.
Snowpack
Richmond Ridge has an average height of snow around 45-55cm, still pretty shallow. We heard audible collapsing propagating out about 10 m as we moved through northeast facing terrain around 11,000ft. An Extended Column Test at 11,273ft on northwest facing terrain resulted in propagation on the first tap. In this same location, we found large, well developed depth hoar in the bottom 6cm of the snowpack. An ECT on the northeast side of the ridge at a similar elevation also showed the ability to propagate failure with moderate taps. Near tree line there is still a cohesive slab where we traveled. Boot penetration sank to the ground while ski penetration stayed above the slab.