Vail & Summit County
SnowpackRyan Zarter · Nov 16, 2024 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
SCT skies with light westerly winds for most of the day. Cool temps and sun made for comfortable travel conditions.
Snowpack
The winds had battered the snowpack pretty good in the areas I traveled above treeline today. Hs at this elevation ranged from bare ground to drifts over a meter deep, with average depth probably around 50-60cm. On a northeast aspect above treeline I found a Pencil to 1Finger hard slab sitting over basal facets. Propagating failures with ECTs on the basal facets. The bright side of the recent winds up high is that this structure is likely isolated in distribution. South and southeast facing slopes above treeline showed evidence of the recent sun and warm temps, making for punchy and variable travel conditions. Near treeline these aspects have cooked down quite a bit--Hs around 30cm with a 10cm melt-freeze crust capping a faceted snowpack. Shadier aspects near treeline held cold, soft, and faceted snow.