January 6

Solitude-South Monitor-Will's Hill-Beartrap-West Desolation-Spruces

Elevations, slope angles and aspects

7500-10200', angles approaching 40°, all aspects.

Snow conditions

Close to a hefty bag day.

Rain-snow line was about 7000' early in the day with an inch of dense snow above that elevation. By late afternoon, about 4" was the total.

Word on the street was "buttery".

Avalanche activity

Been wanting to get over to West Desolation ridge because I knew an earlier slide during the December 12-13 cycle had occurred.

December 3 Snow pit

Hit the jackpot.

slide-two

Ski cut on a north facing slope at about 9700'.

slide-one

Wind drifted, collapse failure, facets under a fragile old bed surface crust.

looking-down

100' wide, running 7-800 vertical feet. 2-18" deep

side-view

Weather

Light snowfall all day. Moderate temperatures. Winds from the wnw, gusting over 30mph.

Snow pit

west-desolation-crown-profile

Evaluation

She's a little loose, today. Wear your helmut!

As before, instability would be from wind drifting on the wide variety of old snow layering.

back

January 6 journal

© wowasatch.com