February 2
Area:
Willow, West Monitor
Elevations, slope angles and aspects:
7500’-10000’+, angles over 35°, all aspects.
Avalanche activity:
Slide of the West Monitor ridge ene initiated cornice kicking. Mid slope slide ene facing sympathetic to a skier, 30+’ wide, 6” deep running about 60’,
fracture
path
both slides
natural east facing West Monitor, watched it run during a period of wind, cornice triggered slide West Monitor on the second up, 20’ wide running a coupla hundred vertical. Sluff slide didn’t propogate.
Slopes skied:
West Monitor ene facing, Short and Sweet into McDonalds, southeast facing West Monitor, Wills Hill, and se facing off the west Willow ridge into Willow Heights.
Snow surface and conditions:
2”-6” new and recent snow over a variable base. The sheltered and shady have facets top to bottom. The more exposed off aspects and south facing have crusts of variable thick nesses. Winds were the major player for the day moving snow both along the lee ridges and depositing it well down slope, indicated by the mid slope slide. Collapsing was felt a number of times while walking the ridges otherwise none. Cracking was present wherever there was a drifted area, with the ones on a steep hillside prone to fracturing.
Weather:
Cool temperatures and winds from the west-northwest. Winds were gusty increasing and decreasing in a random fashion, continuing into the afternoon.
Snow pit:
Short and Sweet. North facing 9700’ sheltered location. Snow was over 50” deep and faceted from top to bottom. Will try and do a profile tomorrow.
Evaluation:
Winds created some active drifts found on easterly aspects. The ones intitiated were running on crusted layering, with light density snow just above the crust providing a weak layer. Don’t think enough load was produced even with the drifting to activate faceted snow collapse failure, except in isolated areas, none found. Would expect some of the drifts to settled out but, since the forecast indicates continued wind, a new batch may well have formed and be active.
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