December 11
Grizzly gulch, East Silver Fork, West Silver Fork, Oingo Boingo(Jaws),
Upper Days Fork, Main Days, Spruces
Elevations, slope angles and aspects
7400-10500', angles over 35°, all aspects.
Snow conditions
3-5" new snow over a mostly crusted base.
The crust is from rain and is quite variable in strength and thickness. It is also quite variable in supportability.
The fresh snow did a nice job of concealing obstacles(rocks, stumps, branches etc) previously on the surface. Caution advised!
Bonding of new snow to old surface was good with surface sluffing only on the steepest slopes.
Gouging into old snow layering occurred with a ski cut initiated sluff in Main Days which ran into lower angled terain.
Lower elevations remain shallow. Best to find a track or trail for exit.
Weather
Clear to partly cloudy skies, light wind, with temperatures cool in the shade, pleasant in the sun.
Snow pit
Evaluation
Good stability on all aspects at all elevations. Weather guessers have the first actual storm of winter suggested so...
future stability will be dependent on new snow amount, bonding of new to old and wind.
Storm totals over a foot, especially in drifted locations are likely to produce avalanches stepping down into older weaker layering.
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