Gunnison

Snowpack

Dustin Eldridge · Nov 3, 2013 · Gunnison

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Weather

First clear day after a few days of snowfall and wind. Classic Colorado bluebird, with temperatures rising rapidly.

Snowpack

We ascended into Baxter Basin from Poverty Gulch into a mostly N-facing bowl. Upon ascent out of the basin, we experienced multiple (4-5)collapses from small convex features with varying sizes of wind slabs on top (5-10cm). We dug our pit on a completely shaded N-aspect below a cross-loaded rock outcropping. Results were scary. Depth was between 110 and 125 cm with new snow going down to 55 cm, a small wind crust on top at about 5 cm. At the new/old snow interface a layer of facets was forming around 5 cm thick. First compression test was CTV with a Q1 SP shear. Second was CT1, also with a Q1 SP shear also breaking on the new/old snow interface.