Observation: Girdwood

Location: Max's Mountain

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

Hike (on foot) up to the top of treeline to where there was enough snow to skin on the common uptrack for Max’s.

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

Mostly overcast. Wind was light to breezy from the east above treeline.
Temperatures were near 40F at the trailhead and around 32F at 2,600'.
Light rain began to fall below treeline around 3pm.

Snow surface

Breakable crust (1-2cm thick) until 2,300', above there was 1-3" of new snow over a breakable crust. Very undesirable skiing below 2,500.

Snowpack

At 2,000' the snow is wet and saturated under the 1-2cm crust. Snow depth ~1 foot.
At 2,600' the snow is moist and you can see the layers of the different storms over the past month. Snow depth here was 3 feet. See photo. A snow pit was dug at 2,600' and stability results were unremarkable. I did not reach dry snow where there is more concern for unstable snow.

Old avalanche debris and roller balls were seen in and under the chutes/gullies near the top of Max's. This was from the Thanksgiving storm and covered by 3-4" of new snow that fell yesterday.

Photos & Video
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