Sawatch
SnowpackDrew Gibson · Oct 31, 2023 · Sawatch
Weather
Mostly clear. Calm below treeline, light wind near treeline from the west. Temps in the low 30s by 2pm at the trailhead.
Snowpack
Below and near treeline, 20-40cm (8-16") depending on aspect. The snowpack is about as supportive as it can be being so shallow. Surface snow on south-facing slopes was getting warm and a little gloppy in the afternoon. Above treeline, depth depended greatly on aspect and terrain. Northerly and easterly facing gullies have more depth due to wind-loading. I found a few pillows near 12,800ft about one meter (3.3 ft) deep. Surface conditions depended on exposure to the wind. Areas of tiger striping, striping, and wind board were observed. Multiple Around 12,400ft, in a northeast-facing wind-affected gully, I found 44cm (~17") of snow, capped with a ~4cm layer of 4 Finger wind-loaded snow. Below the wind-affected cap was soft, recent snow resting on a firm melt-freeze crust. The melt-freeze crust is the old snow from earlier in October. How widespread the crust is difficult to say, it depends on what terrain features held snow after the warm temperatures preceding the last storm. In the places I found the crust, the recent snow is bonding well, but the larger concern is the wind-loaded snow on top of it. Though I did not observe any cracking in stiff wind-loaded snow, the recent avalanches I observed were in steep wind-loaded terrain.