Observation: Turnagain

Location: Eddies

Date:

March 30, 2021 8:17pm

Observer:

Johnston-Bloom / Kinney Forecaster

Route & General Observations

Standard uptrack to 2700′

Contact, Location & General Observations

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Forecaster Comments

The first time I skied Eddies was with Sean McManamy and Caitlin Hague during my first season in Alaska. I thought about Sean today, my respect for him as a snow professional and the overwhelming loss to the Girdwood and mountain community. -AJB

Red Flags

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Observer Comments

Warm day
There were a couple of new small wet loose avalanches observed on Seattle Ridge
Glide cracks look like they are on the move. One very small glide release observed.

Weather & Snow Characteristics

Please provide details to help us determine the weather and snowpack during the time this observation took place.

Weather

Started out overcast then snowed briefly (very light) and then became mostly sunny and then trended towards overcast.
Calm
Temperatures in high 20°Fs to mid 30°Fs

Snow surface

3-4" of new snow
Started to become moist on southerly slopes and on descent around 800' on low angle westerly. Sticky snow on the way out. Meadow snow that was dry on the way in was moist on the way out. Tomorrow will be crusty....

Snowpack

Hand pits along the ski track showed the new snow over a very thin melt-freeze crust to around 1000' on all aspects. New snow was soft and not slabby on the way in but became moist and cohesive later in the day, In wind exposed terrain there is a wind crust/slab layer below the new snow that is resting on small facets. Hand pits failed with moderate force on this interface.

We dug at 2000' on a north aspect, 22° slope, HS: 355 cm, pit depth 100 cm, layer of small facets below wind compacted snow 20 cm down: CT15, CT28, ECTN16, layer of buried surface hoar 60 cm down: CT 26, CT 21, ECTP20, ECTP21, ECTP 27, ECTX. Layer of buried surface hoar is easy to see in the pit wall, grains are decomposing. In one pit grains were laid over and in the other upright and intact.

We dug at 2550' on a south aspect, 26° slope, HS: 220 cm, pit depth 100 cm. There is a 2 cm sun crust under the new snow and then another sun crust 30 cm down with small facets above and below, tests failed below the crust: CT16, CT 22, ECTP10, ECTP20, ECTN18. Surface snow was easy to make a snowball out of on this southerly slope. Just starting to be able to trigger small roller balls.

Photos & Video

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Small cornice from the north wind blowing from the south and old debris

Buried surface hoar in snow pit @ 2000', 60 cm down

Surface hoar laid over on bottom of column test

Surface snow getting moist on south facing slope

Wolverine glide cracks are opening up

Mini glide avalanche

Seattle ridge with old wet loose debris an one new wet loose avalanche