Sawatch
SnowpackBrad Sawtell ยท Feb 24, 2011
Weather
Minus 8C. Light to moderate W wind. Mostly cloudy sky with brief periods of sun. and Sky obscured at times with new snow.
Snowpack
The snowpack is complex in this area. In sheltered areas, the snow depth hovers in the 2 meter deep range. A buried sun crust is widespread just below the storm snow. Bare ground on many windward aspects. I dug snow pits on W, E and a N aspect, all near TL. I found deep and reactive persistent weak layers in all three and they were below a thick, one finger to pencil hard slab. I only found buried surface hoar in the N aspect snow pit. Tests scores were surprisingly consistent showing CT18's, Q1 or 2's and ECTN or ECTP28's, Q1's. All failures were around 1 meter deep.