Pro Field Report

Basic Information

Observation Details

Observation Date:
February 11, 2022
Submitted:
February 11, 2022
Observer:
SAC - VandenBos (off duty)
Zone or Region:
Galena Summit and Eastern Mtns
Location:
across from Stanley RS (6,300-7,400', primarily NW-W-SW)

Signs of Unstable Snow

Recent Avalanches? 
Yes
Cracking? 
None Experienced
Collapsing? 
None Experienced
Avalanches observed refers to wet loose slides that occurred sometime on Wednesday, 2/9. These were reported yesterday.

Snow Stability

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

Advanced Information

Weather Summary

Cloud Cover:
Clear
Temperature:
est in mid 40s F
Wind:
Light , W

Afternoon weather obs: mostly clear skies with some high stratus streaming through, doing little to limit solar radiation. Winds were calm down low, light at my highpoint on top of the knob. Warm day, but never felt hot like yesterday.

Avalanche Observations

The slope I skied produced a handful of D1-1.5 slides on 2/9 after a night of above freezing temperatures and during a day of intense ambient radiation and warm temperatures.

Snowpack Observations

No formal tests. Skied good (solid B) supportable corn on low elevation SW slope at 15:00. This slope produced a handful of D1-1.5 slides on 2/9 after a night of above freezing temperatures and during a day of intense ambient radiation and warm temperatures. Another lap at 15:45 had me starting to punch through ever so slightly, but not much. The slope started to refreeze shortly after that. This slope (and lots/most lower elevation terrain in the area) got cooked hard by ambient temps and radiation on Wednesday and by the sun and warm temps yesterday. On the whole, today felt cooler than yesterday and felt like the snowpack did not warm up nearly as much. In flat terrain, even where sunbaked, the crust that formed on 2/9 and remelted and refroze on 2/10 never completely broke down. It softened somewhat, but remained intact through the day.
The new surface in this type of terrain is quite a mess - variable, icy, 2-5cm crust with dry (when frozen) facets underneath. Maybe strong enough to hold up a bit of a load (or at least a bit more than just the facet stack) but plenty weak for making avalanches. It is quite a bit stouter and thicker on solars, but exists on shaded slopes as well. Will need to keep an eye on this type of terrain when loading resumes.

Avalanche Problems

I did not directly encounter any avalanche problems today.

Terrain Use

Went into the tour prepared to deal with wet loose problems today, but these never materialized where I was. Biggest hazards were variable skiing and mid-February river fording.