Sat, Jan 30, 2021 - 4:16 PM
Reporter(s):
Phil Bowker
Location/Elevation:
Broken Top Area / 6714'
Report Type:
Snow Conditions No Avalanche Activity
Travel Mode:
Snowmobile Ski or Snowboard
-2°C
Sky Conditions:
Obscured (eg: fog)
Precip Type/Intensity:
No Precipitation
New Snow:
2 cm
Written Report:
Skinning up to Todd ridge the new 3mm sun crust from yesterday was evident at all aspects and elevations, only the tightest stands of trees avoided it. Just a trace of overnight snow covering.
I dug a pit at 6714' on an east aspect. Below the new sun crust was about 30cm of fist hardness storm snow, below that 20cm of four finger hardness snow. Next a complex rain crust made up of melt freeze crusts and clustered melt forms. A compression test revealed a weakness in the clustered melt forms giving CT13@50 with a break shear quality. See attached pics.
At 10am when I dug the pit the sky was obscured with fog, winds calm, air temp was -2c (28f).
I skied the north aspect of Soda Peak and found the sun crust there too although not as pronounced. Even with southeast winds through the week I saw no formation of windslabs in this area.
Throughout my tour I saw no sighs of avalanches, no cracking or whumphing while skiing.
Phil.
Multimedia
