March 6
Porter Fork-West Porter-Neffs-Thomas Fork
Elevations, slope angles and aspects
5500-9800', angles over 35°, all aspects.
Snow conditions
A skiff of new snow at the trailhead, 6" or so by late afternoon.
New snow was medium density + graupel.
Bonding of the new snow to old surface was poor with additional density changes adding to that issue.
Rain-snow line hovered around 6k.
Weather
Snow showers all day. Moderate temperatures. Wind was from the west, gusting to around 20 mph along the ridges.
Avalanche activity
Soft slabs were widespread on steeper slopes. Touch it and it'd go.
Intentional triggers resulted in two unintentional, user friendly, short rides
with the largest slide over 100' wide, up to 8" deep and running 800' vertical. It initiated by stomping on the slope near the base,
which produced a slide taking out the entire bowl, jumping the ridge and avalanching the next path to the south.
By afternoon, a natural slide cycle was in progress, discovered by walking up the bed surface and descending the path to the west.
Evaluation
Instability was new snow slides.
Weather guess is for more snow so...would expect a continuation with, settlement eventually stabilizing.
Increased wind would add drifting. Clearing skies would add wet activity potential.
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