January 24
Porter Fork summer road to Gobblers Knob
Elevations, slope angles and aspects
6200-10200', angles over 35°, north and west facing aspects.
Snow conditions
2", settled, at the trailhead increasing to around 8" in upper elevation wind sheltered.
Rain crust from the beginning of the last storm extended to above 8500'
Wind started at about 9k, stronger with ascent.
Upper elevation on the face was crossloaded drifting and scouring.
Ski cuts produced only isolated cracking, no movement.
Mid to lower elevation skiing was dense and creamy.
Weather
Partly cloudy skies, cool temperatures with increasing wind at upper elevations.
Wind was from the south, gusting to around 40mph.
Evaluation
The new snow did not have enough water weight to overload buried weak layering
Mostly stable snow conditions with isolated loose snow sluffing and wind drifting.
Caution would be advised in terrain with recent wind load and pre-existing shallow snow(east and northeast facing).
© wowasatch.com