January 30
Cardiff-Mineral
Elevations, slope angles and aspects
7000-10800', angles over 35°, all aspects
Snow conditions
8-10" settled from the recent storm over a variable old surface. South facing heated quicky and was producing point release sluffs and rollers on south and east facing before noon. Wind had effected most of the upper elevations, most pronounced on west facing with boilerplate crusts and rairoad tracks. Hit or miss on other aspects.
upper red pine
Hard slab wind drifts in upper elevation starting zones were non-reactive to ski cutting. Snow not subject to winds would produce shallow sluffs on the steepest slopes.
Weather
Clear and sunny, mild temperatures and light wind.
Avalanche activity
The majority of avalanche activity was from previous storm and the wind following. Several new snow slides were observed on Cardiac ridge ese facing.
Mineral fork had the large deep crown in Room of Doom. Santiago and Marietta both slid at some point(assuming timing was the same as pictured ridge slides) with debris piles extending into the flats. Only a few inches of snow covered those debris piles.
Evaluation
Stable snow was found. Skittering around on boilerplate was the most common hazard. Instability would be from isolated active wind drifting and
late descents of sun warmed aspects.
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