November 25
Area:
BCC, Park City ridges
Location:
Mill D north, Dutches Draw, McDonalds.
Elevations:
7’000’-10’000’
Slope angles:
Up to 40°
Aspects:
All
Avalanche activity:
None observed.
Slopes skied:
Northeast facing between 9990 and cone on Dutches, Owen’s Line in Dutches, main McDonalds and north facing off Peak 9870’ into the south drainage of Desolation.
Snow surface conditions:
Ranged the gamut, boilerplate, hard wind crusts, sandbox snow, refrozen chunkies and
recrystalized powder
Weather:
Sunny with mostly clear skies.
Snow pit:
Snow pit
Surface has a crust in most locations, ranging from quite stout to eggshell. Under the crust and in areas without the crust, the snow is dry small grained facets, up to about 6” thick. Below that, gradual increase in dampness noted with snowball made squeezing a handful. Slabs are interspersed with old crusts of both melt freeze and wind in the lower pack with about 6” of damp large grained facets near the ground.
Evaluation:
The snow is stable, old and limp. Concern for the future especially with the forecasted storm would be a lack of bonding old with new because of the widespread crusting and or surface faceting. Some of the overlying crusts will allow a significant amount of snow load prior to failure. Other areas, with a stout and slick crust will likely not bond and sluffing during significant snowfall is likely. Of course the above is all dependent on how the storm arrives, warm or cold.
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