Pro Field Report

Basic Information

Observation Details

Observation Date:
December 30, 2020
Submitted:
December 30, 2020
Observer:
SAC - Ethan Davis
Zone or Region:
Soldier and Wood River Valley Mtns
Location:
Lake Creek - Triple Peak (W-N-NE, 6,200-7,800')

Signs of Unstable Snow

Recent Avalanches? 
None Observed
Cracking? 
Isolated
Collapsing? 
Isolated
Two notable 40-50' collapses occurred in middle elevation, N-facing terrain.

Snow Stability

Stability Rating: 
Good
Confidence in Rating: 
Moderate
Stability Trend: 
Steady

Bottom Line

Middle elevation NW-N-NE, along with any higher elevation and shadier aspect combo, are deep enough and layered enough to be a problem when the next storm arrives. I expect an encore of the touchy conditions we saw when similar layering was tested by new snow loads further north.

Short video from the day: https://www.instagram.com/p/CJcOFbhl5-i/

Media/Attachments

Lake Creek
View north from Lake Creek. Durrance is "top-center" in the photo.
Surface hoar taken from the (12/11) weak layer. On more westerly aspects, there was a crust near this interface.
Snow pit from Lake Creek. The two notable weak layers are labeled, although the lower (12/11) is likely to be the player when new snow arrives.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJcOFbhl5-i/

Advanced Information

Weather Summary

Cloud Cover:
Overcast
Wind:
Calm

Calm and grey. Some very light snow flurries around noon extended beyond Griffin Butte and out into the southern Smokys as well as in the southern Boulders.

Snowpack Observations

Coverage was thin overall. The deepest (non-drifted) slopes I found were sheltered middle elevation norths (see pit image). S and SW were mostly dirt to ~9,000'.

The "Solstice Crust" was present in all the terrain I traveled but crumbly and faceted in many locations. It (along with the F slab above) were not strong enough to propagate fractures in ECTs but still seemed worth keeping an eye on moving forward. There were large facet chains around the crust in some locations.

The (12/11) layer produced collapses and still looks nasty. It was a mix of crusts + facets (sunnier wests) and straight facets + SH (norths) where I looked. I'm not sure the SH really makes a difference in this setup but it was obvious and large.

Snow pit from Lake Creek. The two notable weak layers are labeled, although the lower (12/11) is likely to be the player when new snow arrives.

Avalanche Problems

There were no avalanche problems in the terrain I visited today. Middle elevation NW-N-NE, along with any higher elevation and shadier aspect combo, are deep enough and layered enough to be a problem when loaded.

Terrain Use

Terrain choices were aimed at staying afloat and avoiding under-snow obstacles.