Vail & Summit County
SnowpackAndrew McWilliams · Nov 21, 2022 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
A beautiful day to be outside and up high. Calm winds, few clouds, and 25F. No wind transport of snow was noted.
Snowpack
The facet machine is working with cold, clear nights and ample sunshine. Some surface hoar was noted in protected, shady areas in a meadow on the ascent. Near-surface faceting was widespread. Gained the ridge via a southerly aspect and noted a thin and breakable sun crust and surface snow appeared to have become moist on 11/20. Descended into a northerly bowl to dig a pit. No wind transport of snow was noted. The top 4cm was comprised of near-surface facets and decomposing fragments. The next 30cm were decomposing fragments on top of a pencil hard old wind slab that was supportable to skis and boots about 20cm thick. Below that slab was an older decomposing wind slab also about 20cm thick and then about 20cm of facets to the ground. An Extended Column Test had a hard, propagating result at the top of this basal facet layer. No depth hoar was observed. On the return descent, southerly aspects below treeline had moist surface snow.