Spooky layer on Mount Taylor

Quick report

Matt Chernos · Apr 10, 2018 · Northwest Coastal

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Quick report

Weather
warm
Ride Type
mellowSlopes, denseTrees, openTrees
Stayed Away
steepSlopes, convexSlopes
Snow Conditions
heavy, windAffected, powder
Avalanche Conditions
avalancheConditionTemp, avalancheConditionSound

Were in and around the Corbin Road today at several locations and elevations. Travel conditions were good/firm in the morning, but snow became isothermal below 1800 m by noon. Only pinwheeling and small wet slides were observed today. However, the snow felt spooky near the summit ridge of Mount Taylor (but far enough east to be outside the ridge-top wind affect). Three pits all revealed a dense, cohesive slab failing in easy to moderate sudden planar shears on an old, dense 3 cm thick crust down 60 - 70 cm (CT13/SP/240HST). Lots of snow up there and it wasn't very wet at 3 pm. Viz dropped and wet snow started by 4 pm.