February 21

Grizzly Gulch to Spruces

Elevations, slope angles and aspects:

7500-10200', angles approaching 40°, all aspects.

Avalanche activity:

New snow sluffing on steep slopes,

sluffing

initiated with ski cuts. No other activity.

Slopes skied:

East bowl of Silver fork from the shoulder, north of Doug's Drop into Silver Fork, north chute into Days Fork and Banana Belt in Days Fork.

Snow conditions:

2" of new snow at the trail head, increasing to 3-4" at upper elevations. Add another inch from snow showers during the day.Old snow surface was mostly crusted, except in sheltered north facing, which had a few inches of soft settled old snow. The new snow was poorly bonded and sluffed with ski cutting. Sluffs were running quite fast, packing a punch but, weren't spreading or entraining older layers.

Weather:

Skies were mostly cloudy to obscure, with low clouds decreasing visibility. Snow showers all day. Winds were light and temperatures were moderate.

Evaluation:

Settlement should produce a better bond of the new snow to old surface, lessoning, but not eliminating the sluffing. Future instability would be from additional snow and increased wind.

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