March 7
White Pine out Bells
Elevations, slope angles and aspects:
5000-10600', slope angles over 35°, all aspects.
Avalanche activity:
A wet slide was triggered on west facing, at mid elevation in Bells Canyon. Ski cutting a steep break over, released a slide on the old crusted snow surface.
It spread to 30', running a hundred feet vertical or so. Daytime heating loosened bonding between recent storm snow and the old surface.
Another natural slide was observed in upper Bells, northeast facing shoulder of Lone peak.
Big Willow pass chute
That one was a day or so old, breaking mid slope, releasing another portion as it ran. 40' wide running several hundred vertical. Recent storm snow was involved. Sluffing and wind rows can also be seen, the result of continued northwest winds.
No other activity.
Slopes skied:
Short pitch in Dry Creek from Red Pine ridge, Upper Hogum north facing, Thunder bowl, northwest face, northwest face into Bells from the shoulder of Coalpit continuing out Bells canyon.
Snow conditions:
Ranged the gamut from soft and settled in wind sheltered shady to boiler plate and satstrugi along the upper elevation wind exposed.Day time heating produced sno cone snow in sun exposed and off aspects, dependent on timing, with loose snow point releases and rollers observed later in the day on those heated aspects. Cooling the the afternoon was re-crusting those same heated slopes.
Weather:
It was a bluebird, with mild temperatures and light wind from the northwest.
Evaluation:
Old wind drifts had little tension, sun exposed was active when heated, producing shallow slides. Future instability would be dependent on bonding of forecast storm totals, winds during and after the storm and the amount of sun.
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