February 23
Cardiff and Mineral
Elevations, slope angles and aspects:
7000-11000', angles approaching 40°, all aspects
Avalanche activity:
There was widespread natural sluffing and some shallow soft slabs from the latest storm impulse, first observed in Cardiff bowl, south east facing.
A skier triggered slide was also observed,
on northeast facing Cardiac ridge just south of the main run in the area now know as Noah's.
It was 50-70' wide, up to about a foot deep and ran several hundred vertical.
Skier, reportedly, lost a ski.
Largest soft slabs were in Mineral Fork,
with both Santiago and Marietta running the width of the path and about a thousand vertical.
Slopes skied:
Little Superior ne facing, Noah's line on Cardiac ridge and Room of Doom out Mineral.
Snow conditions:
8-12" storm total. South facing was heating during the morning ascent, probably producing some limited wet activity. Cloudy skies may have prevented wide spread crusting. Other aspects remained cool into the afternoon. Ski cuts initiated sluffs on the steeper slopes and one small soft slab was cut out on the upper Mineral entry. The old snow surface was mostly a crust, quite hard on the off aspects and slippery in shallow snow areas.
Weather:
Partly cloudy to overcast, with bands of low clouds rolling through. Temperatures were moderate and winds were light.
Evaluation:
Stability was variable, dependent on snow amounts and wind effect. Observed skier trigger and widespread natural activity along with ski cut sluffing reinforced that conclusion. Current forecast of strong wind and additional new snow will increase potential instabilities, although most activity should remain within newer snow layering.
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