Steamboat & Flat Tops

Snowpack

john morrone · Feb 7, 2013 · Steamboat & Flat Tops

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Weather

perfect windless colorado bluebird day, PBJ on summit in shirtsleves

Snowpack

270cm snowpack depth (yes, full probe), pit dug to 110cm. surface hoar (5-10mm) disintegrating rapidly. 0- 15 cm storm snow: light, soft. 15-30 cm finger hard layer 30-35cm fist soft thin irregular layer(facets?). 35-100 cm pencil hard, massive (storm of prev week?) 110+ cm 4 finger CT results: -moderate (14) @ 25cm, IRREGULAR BASE, slow collapse. -Hard (22) @ 100cm, sharp sudden pop on clean planar surface. also observed old(2-4 day?) approx. 1 m.deep small hard slab avalanches on very steep slopes (45 degree sides of snow "mushrooms" on glacial erratics)on north aspect@ 8300' elevation in soda creek near ditch line, unknown trigger.