Sawatch

Snowpack

Jason Konigsberg · Nov 2, 2021 · Sawatch

Weather

No visible snow blowing. Skies were broken to overcast. Snow depth below treeline on east to northeast-facing slopes ranged from 30 to 40 cm.

Snowpack

I went for a quick walk and dug on a northeast-facing slopes at 11,600 feet (below treeline). In general, there is a 9 cm layer of 1 to 2 mm facets at the ground. An ECT propagated easily in one test at the top of this layer. Several other ECTs did not result in propagation. Besides the basal layer there are two to three crusts buried at different depths in the snowpack. The crusts are generally 1 cm thick. Facets have formed around the crusts but these layers are not as distinct or prominent as the basal layer.---The start zone of the Buckeye B slide path (Question Mark Bowl) and adjacent east and north-facing start zones are beginning to fill in. In the Fremont Pass area the snow cover is still very thin down low, but if you were to get near ridgetop, triggering a small avalanche is possible where a recent wind-drifted slab overlies older snow.---I did not observe cracking or collapsing but I also did not travel in heavily wind-drifted areas and I stayed below treeline.