CAIC Observation Report
SnowpackMike Banniser ยท Nov 17, 2011
Weather
Blue skies
Snowpack
Toured over to ptarmigan peak (I was told) on vail pass from I-70. Didn't ski much mostly due to exahustion from the last couple days. Same whompfing and cracking as the last two days (yesterday on berthoud, 2 days ago at dry gulch) but way more hard/wind slabs, whereas the last two days were soft slabs. Today was the first day above TL, last two were below so that could be the difference, but the wind loading was creating very firm almost drum like slabs, unlike the soft slabs I've seen the last couple days. We didn't kick any thing off but generally stayed on smaller lower angle terrain. If I had to guess larger steeper terrain definitly had the possiblility to break pretty big.