March 27

Location:
Millcreek

Area:
Bowman to Yellow Jacket to Alexander middle bowl to the ridge exit Alexander Basin

Elevations, slope angles and aspects:
6200’-10000’, angles to 40°, all aspects but south.

Avalanche activity:
Old wet slides previously unnoticed; west facing off the Wilson ridge, good debris pile snapped trees, running about 500’vertical and the Alexander east chute off the Gobblers Cabin run ridge, running about 1000’ taking out the remainder of the chute.
No recent activity.

Slopes skied:
Middle bowl, Alexander northeast facing, south of the large slide and Alexander from the ridge and out. Millcreek road is partially melted at Elbow Fork and below, requiring ski removal to traverse the patches.

Snow surface and conditions:
Zero to minimal snow on Bowman to the Yellow Jacket gully. Snow was unsupportable on foot at 8000’. Skis allowed travel. Support increased to a sponge crust by the 8500’ level, remaining that way to 10000’. Thunderstorm laid down perhaps and inch, mostly graupel, which was bonding well to the old spongy surface. Snow line on the descent was around 7000’, with the gully exit providing support if in the open. Sheltered areas were unsupportable.

Weather:
Overcast all day. Instability shower with thunder and lightning around 3 pm required a significant wait prior to further travel. Winds at that time were gusting to around 50 mph.

Late afternoon snow shower was large flakes, snow line lowering to 5500’

Evaluation:
Smush remains below 8000’. I was only getting surface rollers in the gullies and would expect that to remain the same. Mid and upper elevations have a sponge to firm crust and the first instability shower bonded well. Future hazard would be dependent on snow amounts and density changes within the new snow layering.

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