March 9
Bowman trail-Yellow Jacket-Gobblers Knob-Porter Fork
Elevations, slope angles and aspects
6200-10200', angles over 35°, all aspects except south facing.
Snow conditions
Hoping to get over and look at the slide in Wilson chutes,
I saw yesterday.
Cloud cover prevented overnight cooling so...I was a little nervous on the ascent up lower elevation Bowman trail.
Wet snow to about 8500', drying with ascent.
Dense and creamy snow above.
Winds scoured mostly west facing with, drifting on the east.
Cornice fall produced a narrow long running slide in upper Alexander Basin, east facing, new snow only.
Deep slide from during the storm was observed on north facing nose of Gobblers with slide descending into the main gully.
Most of the evidence had been blown in but part of the crown remains visible, mid slope Davis gulch and
on the nose with debris in the gully.
Looks like a new snow slide stepping into older layering. Portions may be repeating from the observed slide during the February 19-20 cycle.
Melt freeze crust found on PC ridgeline wasn't present.
Weather
Overcast in the morning, partly cloudy by late afternoon. Mild temperatures and light wind.
Evaluation
Partly cloudy skies should have allowed some cooling of lower and mid elevation snow.
Weather guess is for a warm day so, potential for wet activity increases on sun exposed and on the shady mid and lower elevations.
Continued instability possible from wind drifting, especially on upper elevation lee aspects.
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