Front Range
SnowpackAnonymous · Jan 19, 2017 · Front Range
Weather
clear, very solar, light breeze (a bit breezier on top of Russell)
Snowpack
Surface hoar formation was impressive with beautiful large crystals. Present on all shady aspects. Southern aspects went solar by 11:30 (upper 110s and bench between 2nd and 1st Creeks) Dug pits at top of Z chute & Corner Pocket. Top 20cm or so of snow was very loose and dry and made for great skiing. CT test lead to CT15 (Z) and CT17 (Corner Pocket) of this snow on a facet layer just below. It did not break as a clean slab but slid of cleanly on the facets. Poor bonding? Snow depth top of Z was 215 cm and beyond the CT result at 195 we could not get any other failures. Chimney offered up the same and we had some sloughing of the top snow layer at the entrance. Chute itself had been skied by numerous riders in the days prior. There were ski/board tracks everywhere and most all areas both sides of the Pass had multiple descents.