Observations

South Fork Eagle River

Red flags (obvious signs of instability):

• Small, human-triggered wind slab avalanche on an upper elevation cross-loaded feature (SS-ASc-R1-D1.5-I, West aspect, ~4700′, ran ~800′)
• Several “whumphs” (collapses) while traveling along the ridge between Harp and Lynx from the heavily loaded lee side (North to East aspects, and cross-loaded West aspects)

Weather:

• Alpine temps in the 20s with light westerly breeze and cloudy skies with passing snow showers becoming sunny by late afternoon

Surface conditions:

• Generally 4-5″ low density fresh snow, more on leeward and cross-loaded features (up to several feet – see pole photo below)
• Fresh snow on south to west aspects becoming heavy and gloppy below 3500′ by late afternoon

Snowpack:

2 Bowls snowpit:

• 4322′, 228* SW aspect, 35* slope
• 146cm height of snow, 12cm new snow
• ECTP18 resistant planar down 15cm on facets below old snow surface (melt-freeze crust)
• ECTP34 sudden planar down 72cm on 4F+ facet layer between 1F+ wind-packed layers (beyond standard test parameters but an interesting result from 4 harder hits)

Lynx snowpit:

• 4395′, 277* W aspects, 28* slope
• 178cm height of snow, 9cm new snow (settled from sun by early evening)
• ECTX

Clouds breaking and snow showers ending:

Sunny by late afternoon: