Observation Date: 01/24/2021

Route/Location:
Lost Trail BC

Weather:
Cold and breezy morning light winds out of the SW. 0700 Temp @ 8000′ was -12*C. Scattered clouds.
Temp warmed to about -7*C.

Wind:

New Snow: No New Snow

Avalanche Activity:
Wind slab 01/23/2021? Saddle Mtn. SE aspect ~8200′ SS-N-R2-D1.5-U-TL-MP-TK

Other Comments:
Dug on numerous northerly aspects. HS 150-180cm.
All pits found various layers of buried surface hoar(SH) that produced sudden fractures in Compression Tests with Moderate to Hard force. Most widespread SH layers seemed to be ~40-45cm and ~60cm down. No propagation was observed in this layer with ECTs. Another layer ~80-90cm deep was also producing sudden fractures on advanced facets. The deepest reactive layer was ~115cm deep and was failing on large depth hoar chains. Out of a handful of ETCs performed, we had only one ECTP down ~85cm.

The facets and depth hoar in the bottom half of the snowpack did not seem to be rounding out much.

We skied several slopes that were around 30 degrees and found good riding conditions on both SW and N facing slopes. The southerly facing slopes had a thin sun crust that is near the surface.

Observer: George D’Angelo