March 17

Gobblers knob-Butler basin

Elevations, slope angles and aspects

6200-10400', angles over 35°, all aspects

Snow conditions

Radiation cooling produced a marginal, short lived refreeze. Interested in how the cooking down neccesary for corn was going, a run down southeast facing Gobblers was done. Ski cutting initiated a point release which ran several hundred feet, spreading a little as it ran.

se-face

Ascent of south facing indicated the old discolored surface prior to the last storm remains solid and well frozen. A couple of natural point releases were observed running into east facing Alexander basin and the southeast face of Raymond, around noon.

raymond-dribbler

Northwest facing Gobblers was beginning to soften by 1 pm

Weather

Partly cloudy skies, mild temperatures. Winds were from the south, gusting to around 20 mph along the ridges. Hazy in the valley.

Evaluation

Wet activity with warming after the marginal freeze on sun exposed aspects was the only observed instability.Would expect some activity on confined mid to lower elevations shady aspects. Forecast cooler temperatures will sieze that up overnight. Spring snow conditions in effect.

Follow the sun.

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March 17 journal

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