Sangre de Cristo
AvalancheRich Rogers · Mar 27, 2024 · Sangre de Cristo
Weather
Warm and calm morning, then breezy afternoon, mostly sunny with a few clouds confined over highest ridges.
Snowpack
In a pit in on a leeward side of a below treeline ridge, I found an area of wind deposited snow with a depth of 245cm(~7ft). I dug down 120cm(~4ft) and hardness increased from soft(F to 4F) in new/recent snow above a hard(1F) thick layer of mid-March upslope storm snow interlaid with a(1F) dust layer over top a tightly packed Feb. storm layer that is thick and a very hard(P) layer. Considering the "right-side-up" feel to this snowpack I choose not perform tests due to the obvious strength. Near treeline, 11,400ft, I found a snow depth of 220cm(little more than 6ft) with similar structure and hand hardness down 120cm from the surface. Finding similar structure, I was interested if I could find failing results within just compression tests. No sudden or resistant failures from 3 compression tests. Though this is a narrow view in an expansive area I would need to similar results across a broader area to consider this conclusive. In both pits I found some evidence of small pools of melt water from previous above freezing warm spell. These "pools" of refrozen melt water were all at the same layer, 15-20inches below the surface, but not connect across the entire pit wall. Out of curiosity, I dug on Westerly aspect and found a shallow snowpack made up of mainly new snow sitting on the ground. See media for supporting photos.
Avalanche
Spotted with binoculars before clouds obscured view.