January 14, 2016

Observations

Eagle River – South Fork – Hiland Road – Harp – 2 Bowls

Red flags:

  • Whumphing (3500′ W aspect)

Weather:

  • Partly cloudy with calm wind becoming a light breeze by sunset.

Surface conditions:

  • 3+” fresh snow.  Right side up with the lightest, driest, fluffiest on top.  More higher, especially on leeward terrain.
  • Supportable, firm windboard below.
  • Windward terrain mostly scoured with only ~3-5″ new snow covering rocks, tundra, etc.

Snowpack:

  • Whumphing: wind slab of greatly varying thickness on a few cm of basal facets and depth hoar (similar to what was observed at Arctic Valley yesterday).
  • It has probably been 2+ years since South Fork has been riding this good.

Observed heightened avalanche conditions: evaluate snow and terrain carefully; identify features of concern.