Sawatch
SnowpackAndrea Tupy · Mar 11, 2021 · Sawatch
Weather
It was cold, windy and snowing making visibility difficult above treeline. Periodically clouds would clear for a minute or two of filtered sunlight with light snowfall and then it would become socked in again and snow would intensify. Wind transport of snow at ridgeline elevation was observed.
Snowpack
On south and east aspects above treeline the surface was firm and supportive with sistrugi, wind scoured areas, and wind loaded pockets. We dug near treeline where the melt freeze crust from the previous warm period was intermittently supportive below which was a 1 cm layer of facets. Another melt freeze crust about 25 cm down from the surface was supportive with the help of a ~20 cm thick 4 finger to 1 finger midpack below it. See the attached pit diagram for more detail. Below treeline on south and east there was breakable crust and boot pen was to the ground.