December 29

Area:
Upper City Creek

Location:
Pinecrest to Lookout to Grandview Peak and back.

Elevations, slope angles and aspects:
7000-9400’, Angles to 40°, all aspects.

Avalanche activity:
None

Slopes skied:
Lookout north facing, next northwest facing into main City Creek, Grandview off the top into Cottonwood Gulch, Grandview southeast facing, next south facing and Lookout shoulder Ellsworth gully to Pinecrest.

Snow surface and conditions:
Most snow had been affected by winds from one direction or another. There was a bit of settled snow in very sheltered northwest facing lower on Lookout Peak.

A lot of the upper elevation east facing was scoured to bare ground or railroad tracks from snow mobiles.

We experienced no cracking or collapsing. The rime crust in the area is quite stout, up to an inch or so in thickness. The last storm was only about 2” storm total overlying a couple of inches from recent storms over the crust.

Weather:
Moderate temperatures. East winds increased during the day peaking with gusts over 40 mph in the early afternoon,

rime forming into the wind on Grandview ridge

then decreasing. Partly cloudy to clear skies.

Snow pit:

Evaluation:
Snow is stable. Although the winds have blown from several directions the snow available for transport is limited. I did get a moderate Q! shear in the snow pit and if that was loaded it would likely produce some slides, but it would probably take more than an inch of water weight. There may be isolated active wind drifting along the ridges on mainly westerly facing aspects.

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