Front Range
SnowpackBanning Starr · Dec 17, 2014 · Front Range
Weather
Clear and Calm
Snowpack
Anywhere from 10 to 37 cm new, near and above TL between S, SE, E and NE aspects, deposited in the last 4 days. Elevation ranged from 10,000ft to 11,500 ft during ski. Very prominent ice lens (rain crust) at the old snow surface below the new snow. This lens was deposited on 11/26/14. Rain at FS HQ office at 9,000' and what appears to be rain all the way up above tree line. This ice layer is only found in the Byers and Bottle Peak area, and is everywhere! behind trees and on all aspects in the area. Others areas of the Exp. Forest the layer is thinner or non-existent. The ice layer has faceted grains above and below it. Snow Pit Location 13S 419673.44 m E 4416251.41 m N E/ SE Aspect with slope rolling over to E / NE 27 degree slope Elevation 11,149 Total Depth 91cm Depth below snow Surface : Grain Type : Hardeness 91 -56.5 New : Fist 56.5 - 55 above ice layer : pencil 55 - 54.5 ice layer : > then knife 54.5 - 53.5 - F below ice layer : pencil 53.5 - 31 small R : 4 Finger 31 - 20 mixed medium and small F : Fist 20 - 0 (ground) cm Large F : Fist (very weak) Could not perform ECT or CT as I could not cut thru ice layer to isolate column without compromising ice layer and test. However I did see failure above the ice layer in the faceted layer while attempting to isolate.