Front Range
SnowpackTopher Donahue · Apr 14, 2014 · Front Range
Weather
Sunny, right around freezing temps. 9000-10,000 ft. Southeast aspect.
Snowpack
Went out feeling pretty good about skiing aggressively on non-windloaded features as per the forecast. Did a couple of compression and sheer tests and the results changed our ski plan dramatically. Found 2 dust layers about an inch+ apart. (Beginning and end of the storm that brought the dust?) About 4 inches inches below the lowest dust layer is what seemed to me to be 2 different wet layers of facets. (Surface facets formed during the cold snap before the dust storm?) About 10 inches new snow on top of the top dust layer. I first did a hasty pit and found a disturbingly easy sheer well below the dirt layers. So I did a couple more proper compression and sheer tests and found the following: Compression 1: broke sudden planar on the easy side of moderate, 8 inches below the top dust layer. Elevation about 9700 feet, southeast aspect. Sheer on a different column in the same spot pulled off very easy in the same layer. Compression2: 500 feet higher, perhaps 10,200 feet, still well below treeline. 1st column broke easy side of moderate (3 forearm hits) sudden planar. Second column slid off "very easy" as I was isolating the column! All breaks were on the same layer, about 16-18 inches below the surface that seemed like facets when viewed loose, but was obviously wet and would stick together when compressed as a snowball. I'm not experienced with giving ratings, but have skied the front range for 30 years and after seeing the pit results at 2 different elevations on the aspect and elevation we planned to ski, we went from a ski line that would be good to go in moderate rated conditions, to a line the kind of line that is a safe way down when ratings are moderate-high. Sadly no photos, but the layers are visually quite dramatic with the dust and loose, wet facet layers. Good time to for folks new to snow pits to dig around a bit. The slab above the sketchy layer would not be a good one to be caught in. Not super thick but quite heavy and I'd guess would propagate easily. Anyway, I found very different conditions than I expected and also different from what was suggested by this morning's discussion and wanted to spread the word.