Northern San Juan

Snowpack

Northwest aspect, Jello Bowl. 11,200'. Test snowpit for an AIARE level 1 course through Telluride Avalanche School. Variable snowpack observed, probably because part of observed slope was just north of a stand of trees and the other part of the slope was unshaded, Many hard slabs (1F to P) over faceted weak layers (F) throughout snowpack. Four compression tests were conducted, each showing moderate difficulty in producing a collapse. Failures occurred first in the upper snowpack in recent soft layers, then lower in the snowpack above large grained facets. All fractures were Q1. Two ECTs were conducted in the same snowpit within 1 meter of each other, the first showing no propogation (ECTX) and the second showing propogation under moderate stress (ECTP15 Q1 SP).