Sawatch

Snowpack

Kreston Rohrig, Becs Hodgetts, Ryan Zarter · Dec 11, 2017 · Sawatch

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Weather

Clear sky with light ridge top breeze and warm temps

Snowpack

Generally thin snowpack with deeper snow cover in wind-loaded areas. Dug a quick pit on ESE slope on the ascent: HS 85cm on the lee of a sub-ridge. Upper 10cm was a soft-decomposing surface slab with a stout melt-freeze crust just below. The MF crust was 5cm thick with an impenetrable ice lens at the bottom. Mid-pack and below was a mixed bag of faceting rounds and a 10cm layer of 1mm FC. ECTN5 on 10cm surface slab. On north facing terrain, surface snow is faceting rapidly and slabs at NTL elevation are breaking down. Pit profile from N slope attached.