March 18

Area:
Alta to Mineral

Location:
Alta guard station to LSB to Cardiac to Mill B south to Mineral out Mineral Fork

Elevations, slope angles and aspects:

7500’-10500’. angles to 40°, all aspects.

Avalanche activity:
No recent activity although glide cracks above the blue ice in Broads next to the earlier reported slide are widening.

Mineral Fork avalanche was the result of sun warming on the west facing rock bands triggering the slide and pulling snow off the north facing as it ran.

link to larger version of the panorama

Crown

Crown 2

Looking back.

Crown was 1’-4’ deep, with the deepest crown up in the rocks north facing. Stress fractures radiated almost all the way over to the east pass in the lower angled.

Slopes skied:
Little Superior buttress ne facing, Cardiac ridge(south entry from Mill B)east-northeast facing, entry into Mill B south from Cardiac pass, and upper Mineral(entry from Mill B south, exiting Mineral Fork.

Snow surface and conditions:
Found the snow once again well frozen. A slightly later start eliminated the need for ski crampons on the first approach to Cardiff. Damp powder was found on first descent, with the lower run out still crusting. This was the case in upper Cardiac, with softening on the east facing near Cardiac pass. The ridge was excellent sun softened deep corn snow. Mill B south had a frozen surface, which softened by the second go around. I was punching the pole through to the ground quite easily by 1:30 pm. Snow in that area was les than 2’ deep. Upper Mineral was dry powder all the way to the flats next to the big slide. Lower elevation snow was sticky. Plunge stepping at 8000’ initiated no rollers, although there was quite a variety spilling onto the trail from earlier activity.

Weather:
Bluebird. It was a few degrees cooler than Friday, aided by a breeze from the southwest at times. Warming once again in the afternoon but, see earlier.

Evaluation:
A good refreeze from radiation cooling even though temperatures didn’t achieve the magic number. I found softening timely and lingering dry powder in upper elevation north. Avalanche hazard would be the result of heating from either warm temperatures or sun. No evidence of recent avalanches. I found the snow to be mostly stable and comfortable in it’s current repose after the early week avalanche activity. Would expect heating coulda changed this later in the day but I was done before 3 pm.

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