December 9
Mineral Fork
Elevations, slope angles and aspects
7200-10k, angles over 35°, north facing aspects
Snow conditions
Shallow snow, trail groomed nicely by weed skiers at lower elevations.
High density new snow amount of an inch or so at 8k, add an inch at upper elevations.
All snow was variably wind effected, west facing scoured, east drifted. Patches of stout wind crust were found, even in sheltered terrain, at upper elevations.
Weather
Skies were overcast with flat lighting, temperatures mild, winds were gusty and swirling, stronger up high.
Avalanche activity
Santiagos spit up at some point in the recent past with debris almost reaching the flats. It was covered by the last two little storms.
No other activity observed.
Snow pit
Hard to find a representative spot because of all the wind and graupel pooling from the last storm.
Of interest, two easily distinguishable dust layers were found in the 65" pit dug in" room of doom" northeast facing.
Two shears, moderate Q1, no propagation, in the upper foot or so of snow. Storm layer interfaces?
Evaluation
Mostly stable snow, wind drifting a possible issue.
Be interesting to watch how things shake out during the next series of weather guessed storms with, more dense snow and more wind suggested.
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