Sawatch
AvalancheKreston Rohrig · Apr 7, 2018 · Sawatch
Weather
Cloud cover kept the sun at bay and the light flat. Ridgetop winds were light and with dense heavy snow, transported very little snow.
Snowpack
HN 12" of dense heavy snow. Below treeline the new snow was warm and sticky with weak snow below. The old snow remained supportable and was still dry on north facing slopes near and above treeline. Below ridgeline on north facing slopes the new snow has drifted in to dense slabs up to 60cm thick. The new snow was slowly bonding to the surfaces below but would fail with a little pressure below your skis on steep features, especially in areas with hardened bed surfaces. On north facing slopes above treeline the upper 20cm of snow was upside down and easily propagated cracks. ECTP1 on this layer 20cm down on softer storm snow. Below the new snow, pencil hard old snow was found below ridges in previously drifted areas. Near treeline the snowpack is still dry and weak layers of DH near the ground are still showing very little bonding.
Avalanche
We triggered a small avalanche on a north facing slope near treeline in the new storm snow.