Observation Date: 01/24/2020

Went up past Point 6 on the ridge over to 3 Tier and Too Steep to Tele. Dug a snowpit on an E aspect at 7700 feet with a height of snow at 155cm. CT12SC failing near the ground in rounding facets, then got ECTX. I wasn’t sold on the snowpack, so I went back up to Point 6 and out Burgundy ridge to dig another snowpit. I dug in a shallower spot, which represents a likely place to trigger a persistent slab avalanche. I dug on at about 7900 feet in elevation, on a SE aspect, with a height of snow about 75cm. ECTP14, failing on facets above a slick crust, 36 cm from the ground, which made me scared of skiing anything steep.

The Rattlesnake has a shallow snowpack compared to some other places in our forecast area. I am very leery of skiing anything steep in this area because the chances of triggering a large persistent slab avalanche is possible, and the consequences are super high.

Weather:
Poor visibility, snowing lightly, gusty ridgetop winds out of the W. Rain snow line was at about 6000-6500 feet.

New Snow: 0-3″

Observer: Todd Glew