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Professional Observation

       

Basic Information

Observation Details

Observation Date:
March 16, 2022 - March 16, 2022
Submitted:
March 16, 2022
Observer:
Jonathan Tuttle | Pro Observer
Zone or Region:
June Lake
Location:
Carson Peak (North bowl + Devils Slide) - Minimal warming, recent loose wet slides

Signs of Unstable Snow

Recent Avalanches? 
Yes
Cracking? 
None Experienced
Collapsing? 
None Experienced

Snow Stability

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

Key Points

Toured from the top of J7, up the hourglass to the negatives ridgeline.  Then stripped the skins and traversed across San Joaquin mountain and over to the top of north bowl on Carson peak.  Descended down north bowl and devils slide and returned to the June mtn parking lot via bike.

  • Trace amounts of new snow seen, starting around the base of the hourglass and slightly increasing to closer to 1cm near Carson peak
  • Solid freeze overnight led to a stout supportable crust on all elevations and aspects traveled today
    • This occasionally made skinning challenging and produced slide for life conditions in many areas making ski crampons and a whipit a great addition for todays route
    • Temperature crust was 10cm thick near the bottom of the devils slide with wet snow underneath
  • Large sastrugi textured snow was the primary texture covering most of the north facing terrain above 10K
    • In north bowl the sastrugi was softer than expected with some surface faceting likely doing work on the crust
    • Snow remained wintry on north aspects
  • No signs of instability seen in terrain above 8.5K today
  • Several recent debris piles from loose wet slides were observed on the decent down devils slide starting around 8500feet
    • All the debris was still frozen today around 130 pm and was likely from yesterday or the day before warm temps/wet precip
    • about 1-2cm of moist snow on the E/W aspects of devils slide below 8500feet
    • A fair number of rocks were also found on top of the snow in the lower half of the devils slide including a couple of sizable ones

 

Media

Negative cirque coverage
J7 ridge to hourglass coverage
Crazy and cool ice formations among the sastrugi on the way up to negatives rigeline
Trace amounts of new snow along the ridge between san Joaquin mountain and carson peak, the tiny bit of new snow remained unconsolidated in areas loaded with 3cm of new snow
Looking down from the top of north bowl on carson peak. A Lovely day, weather wise.
A few sections of edgeable smooth windboard in North bowl
The primary texture in a lot of North bowl on carson peak
Recent loose wet slides in devils slide
recent loose wet slides in devils slide

Advanced Information

Weather Summary

Cloud Cover:
Clear
Temperature:
28
Wind:
Light , NE

Full sun from 8am-2pm with a few clouds on the horizon on the drive back around 3pm.

Calm winds during our travels with an occasional light NE breeze.

10:00 AM 30F @9,600 ft

11:30 AM  26F @11,200 ft

12:30 PM 29F @10,700 ft

02:00 PM 40F @ 7,200 ft

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