Steamboat & Flat Tops
AvalancheMax Strotbeck · Jan 30, 2023 · Steamboat & Flat Tops
Weather
Overcast skies and lightly snowing, cold (likely low teens), light wind
Snowpack
Dug two pits BTL around 8900 on SE and SW aspects. The SE pit was dug on a steep slope (33 degrees) that was free of trees but was surrounded by smaller vegetation. HS was 227cm. CT test yielded Q1 shears on light and moderate taps at multiple depths within the storm snow, all the way down to and just above and beneath the sun-crust that developed prior to this storm cycle. This crust was was 94cm down and thick at 3.5cm. Two ECT tests resulted in no propagation, just fracturing at some of the same depths where CT fractures occurred. The SW pit was dug on a 24 degree slope amongst widely spaced aspen trees. HS was 236cm. The sun-crust here was 104cm down, but not nearly as stout and was more faceted than what was observed in the other pit. ECT test here also did not propagate. With consistent Q1 shears observed all the way down to and just beneath the crust layer on the SE aspect, this layer should still be viewed as suspect. With this layer now being around 100cm deep, it may prove more reactive with a test specifically targeted for deeper problems, such as a PST, Deep Tap Test, or Rutschblock test.
Avalanche
none observed