Steamboat & Flat Tops

Avalanche

Mark Van Akkeren ยท Jan 20, 2014

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Weather

25 degrees (in shade) crystal clear deep blue awesomeness of colorado sky calm winds

Snowpack

Observed large (1inch) hoar crystals at the bottom of soda creek valley that shrank in size as we gained elevation. Snow pack felt very solid underfoot. Coming from the front range I'm not used to such a "gentle" pack. Some wind loading on an exposed knob. 205cm pit with bottom 60cm of depth hoar. Another 20cm of bigger crystals but more solid. Depth hoar fractured upon touch, next 20cm required more force. Remaining 125cm of column was a solid straight block. ECT netted 30 with no movement (started pounding on it after 30 and could not get column to move). Performed modified rutschblock test (jumped on another 90cm x 30cm isolated column) and could not get column to fail.

Avalanche

Zippo.