Observation: Portage / Placer

Location: Skookum

Date:
Observer:
Red Flags
Red flags are simple visual clues that are a sign of potential avalanche danger. Please record any sign of red flags below.
Observer Comments

This is a follow up observation for my obs from the Skookum Glacier on Sunday, 2/18. On Monday, 2/19 we went back up the Skookum. On Sunday we had been limited by poor visibility and as such chose a north facing couloir that had obviously flushed relatively recently. Yesterday, with better visibility we were able to see the crown on the face above both our pits. We dug another pit on the face above the crown:

Elevation: 3,700 ft
Aspect: N
Slope: 40 degrees
HP: 150 cm
ECTN23, CT22 Q1, 60cm down on BSH
ECTP29, CT23 Q1, 95cm down on BSH, energetic failure

Based on those results we retreated and tried another face. Pit results:
Elevation: 4,000 ft
Aspect: NW
Slope: 37 degrees
HP: 150 cm
ECTP12, CT19 Q1, 35cm down on BSH
CT19 Q1, 85cm down on BSH

There have been lots of huge naturals that have flushed terrain in the Skookum zone, but not everything has slid. Many crowns are still visible. Based on the amount of snow on top the debris, many of these avalanches are recent relative to new snowfall since they slid.