January 17
Solitude, Willow Heights, West Monitor, Wills, South Willow, Dutches Draw, Beartrap
Elevations, slope angles and aspects
7800-10400', angles over 35°, all aspects.
Snow conditions
4" new high density over about 6" recent snow over a variable old surface.
New snow was wind effected, at upper elevations, especially, near ridges.
Drifted on east facing, Scoured on west.
Sheltered terrain down off the ridge was inverted but, dense and creamy skiing.
Weather
Clearing skies, mild temperatures in the sun, cooler in the shade.
Pesky wind from the northwest, gusting to around 15 mph, decreasing in the pm.
Avalanche activity
Localized cornice fall new snow slides in West Monitor bowl.
Cornice kicking created
an additional slide
with a crown of up to around 18" which ran a few hundred vertical.
No additional obvious recent slides observed in Dutches or north facing BCC.
Evaluation
Localized drifting with observed cracking near ridges on aspects with easterly component.
Would expect settlement to stabilize.
Isolated potential for slides breaking into older recrystallized layering.
Weather guessers have an active weather pattern continuing so...
Future stability will be dependent on new snow amount, bonding of new to old surface, temperature and wind.
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