Observations

South Fork Eagle River:

We went to Triangle yesterday to climb The Prism and continue to the summit, and in doing so were able to get a good handle on snow conditions. While the snowpack is still very thin in most areas, upper elevation slopes and wind loaded terrain definitely have enough snow to produce dangerous avalanches. Be wary of areas with deeper snow; the snowpack structure is poor and weak. Upper elevation terrain hosts basal facets with wind slab, and a newer soft slab at the surface. Wind loaded areas exhibited some cracking, and active wind loading occurred throughout the day. Natural sluffs ran in steep terrain from this week’s new snow. Besides getting buried, make sure you’re mindful of terrain traps and exposure!