May 8

Area:
White Pine, Lake peak.

Elevations, slope angles and aspects:
7500’-10900’, angles to 40°, northerly aspects.

Avalanche activity:
None observed during travel. There had been fairly extensive new snow wet activity yesterday and the day before.

Point release wet slides overrunning tracks on Red Baldy.

A wet slab on White Baldy from the warming during the last week in April.

A closer look.

Slopes skied:
North facing Lake peak.

Snow surface and conditions:
Crusted snow from parking area to the summit of Lake peak, with a few turns of dry powder thrown in off the top. Crusts softened in a timely manner. The new snow has not cooked down leaving a crust of 1-3 inches overlying up to 10” of somewhat settled damp to dry snow. Snow cone snow found after softening. at mid elevations.

Weather:
It was a beautiful bluebird day. Moderate temperatures and light wind from the south.

Evaluation:
White Pine bridge had a foot of snow on the railings May 5. Today it was melted, the bridge barely had a cover, mud was found beyond the bridge in the shade.
That’s settlement.

Warm forecast temperatures will increase the potential for further wet activity. I’d imagine that may be somewhat limited but, several days of heating and no refreeze could result in scattered and significant activity on shady upper elevation aspects. A wet slab or two may result with a good sized trigger (high temps, rockfall, cornice fall, glide, etc).

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