November 6
Location:
Mineral Fork
Elevation, slope angles and aspects:
7000'-10200', angles to 40°+, mainly north and east aspects.
Avalanche activity:
Two old slides were observed, both related to warming.
Santiago's spit up a wet narrow pocket from the rock bands high in the starting zone. That ran perhaps a thousand vertical leaving a narrow debris pile of a coupla feet deep. The other came out of the rocks in the upper bowl. I
This one was a wind slab formed on the rocks and released when those warmed. Running less than 500', perhaps thirty feet wide, leaving chunky surface debris.
Slopes skied:
Room of Doom and the Santiago run out to around 8500'
Snow conditions:
Snow line was at about 8500'. Barely enough for travel at that elevation and patchy. Surface hoar and faceting was found on shady slopes above around 9000'.
Cupped facets and spaghetti snow
Cupped facets and surface hoar
Angel haired facets
Slopes receiving some sun during the day had a variable sun crust Those in the shade also had a crust, out of the wind, a melt freeze crust was found from warming. The upper bowl had a wind crust, under a skiff to and inch of faceted snow. That crust was slippery, where supportable. Pole penetration was to the ground in many places particularly were shallow rocky terrain was encountered. Snow remains supportable on skis, with penetration of only an inch or so dependent on thickness of described crusts.
Weather:
Mild temperatures and sunny skies, with little wind.
Snow pit:
Evaluation:
Shallow stable snow pack, currently supportable enough for easy travel and skiability. Continued high pressure may break down the deteriorating supportable crusts to the point that they no longer do so.Any instabilities would be dependent on active weather, wind or snow.
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