Vail & Summit County
SnowpackBill Hoblitzell · Dec 11, 2012 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
Clear day two days after storm leaving 9-14" in area. Day before was very cold ~0 F, temps in single digits at 6:45 am climbing to 20's by late morning.
Snowpack
Continual collapsing/whumping in low-angle meadows from 8000' and on to top. Numerous propagating cracks and collapses from skin track to 20+ yards outward, continual triggering of small steepened slopes next to creek gully and trail. Small (<10m^2) releasing slabs of recent snow (10-20 inches) on old facets (4-8inches) on gully sides. Avoided terrain >30deg especially small slopes near the gully as I climbed out of the drainage, moved onto some SW facing slopes where all snow had burned off prior to this week's storm and the collapsing was no longer evident, facet layer no longer present, just 12-18 inches of uniform storm snow. Synopsis: on N facing and shady stuff where the old snow stuck around and rotted, a weak foundation is failing easily and propagating 10's of meters in even on flat terrain. Elsewhere if the old snow did not survive the dry and warm weather, no signs of activity.