December 25
Bowman, Pole Canyon, Gobblers Knob, Porter Fork
Elevations, slope angles and aspects
6400-10400', angles over 35°, north and west facing aspects.
Snow conditions
Frozen mank at the trailhead. 2-4" settled recrystallized at upper elevations.
Add some scattered surface hoar here and there from lower to mid elevations.
Surface crust on off aspects softened with warming, refreezing with late afternoon cooling.
Weather
Clear and sunny with increasing high clouds by afternoon. Temperatures were mild and winds were light from the south, even on the ridges.
Avalanche activity
Some wet activity was observed from yesterday morning. Most on off aspects and sun exposed but,
one roller ball slide was observed on a north facing mid elevation slope. All wet slides were limited to rollers.
Glide was observed
on the Raymond slabs and another portion of the east facing Broads Fork diving board also slid recently.
A large slide was found on the face of Gobblers,
releasing from the nose area and probably including northeast facing Davis gulch.
Several hundred feet wide, running around 2500' vertical,
leaving a large debris pile over eight feet high near the mouth of the main gully.
The slide was older and probably ran near the start of the cycle December 20-21.
Likely stepping down into older weak layering because of the size and dimensions.
Evaluation
Snow was mostly stable. Winds were light but, remote weather stations have had higher southerly winds for some time so...wind drifting is an issue.
Recrystallized snow has once again formed on the surface of the last storm. May be a factor during the weather guessed large storm mid-week.
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