Front Range
SnowpackZach Taylor · Jan 18, 2013 · Front Range
Weather
sunny, no wind, a beautiful day out
Snowpack
Above treeline east facing aspects on the Sawtooth alternated between being comprised of a couple inch thick reactive windslab sitting on facets and a much thicker persistant hard slab sitting on facets. A few areas, even well above treeline, were faceted from the basal layer through to the surface and sloughed easily. Encountered some alpine ice in the gully between Spaulding and Bierstadt that descends back to Guanella pass. No recent, visible avalanche activity but plenty of cracking and some collapsing as well. We steered around some suspect areas.