Vail & Summit County
SnowpackIan Hoyer · Mar 29, 2015 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
Surprisingly crisp morning at Vail Pass trailhead, brisk wind was keeping melting to a minimum. Warmed quickly, especially when out of the wind. Bluebird day, not a cloud to be found.
Snowpack
Trace of new snow overnight. Snowpack wet to the ground on BTL & NTL on E-S-W aspects (did not get onto N aspects). Overnight refreeze ranged from 15-30 cm in depth. Boot pen to ground at 11 am on E aspect BTL and also on NW-W-SW aspects BTL&NTL from 12pm onwards. Was breaking through crust on W aspects even before the surface started to melt. Dug on SW aspect NTL at 1pm, got ECTP13 & ECTP17 just below the refreeze, couldn't get a break on layers deeper in the snowpack. Snow surface was totally supportable on skis until 3pm (when I left the field), except for one SW slope BTL, where I plunged through on skis to the ground at 2:30pm.