March 1

Area:
Cardiff

Elevations, slope angles and aspects:
7200-10000’, angles to 35°, south, north and northeast.

Avalanche activity:
Good sized slide from sno0wfield above the cliff bands just west of Holy Toledo. No idea of size, timing, width etc. Debris pile in the lower apron was 8’+ deep. Visibility very poor. No other activity.

photo March 3

Slopes skied:
Skier’s right of the power line ridge eyebrow, High ivory west shoulder and Georges bowl.

Snow surface and conditions:
4-6” from the latest storm, heavily inverted. Steep slopes were required for making turns. Trail breaking a bit slow. Drifting was present even at the lower elevations, with some drifts up to a coupla feet deep. These were cracking, but couldn't’t get movement with ski cutting.

Weather:
Overcast with snow flurries at times. Winds from the west 15-25 mph. Moderate temperatures.

Evaluation:
Natural observed in the Holy Toledo area indicates continued instability. I’m guessing the natural did not go into older snow, but may include most of the snow from the last week’s storms. Continued bridging over the faceted layers combined with settlement may have eliminated most of the deeper slab instabilities. This last round combined with the latest winds will provide conclusions yea or nay when it clears.

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