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.