24-25

I dug a pit on the SE shoulder of divide at around 9600’ and got a ECTP 14 on the persistent weak created during the long dry spell layer buried from this weeks storms.  Photo: Anonymous

Lots of wind slabs south of Cooke today. Strong wind all day and lots of blowing snow. Photo: N Mattes

From IG Messages: “I was hunting up papoose creek today and heard loud whumping noises 4-5 times in the morning…. Was That the snowpack above me settling?”

Small natural windslab along Beehive Ridgeline around noon on 12/18. It broke up to around a foot deep, 20 ft wide, and ran about 15 vertical feet. Photo: GNFAC.

I toured to the East shoulder of divide park today 

It was very windy and snow was being transported everywhere…..especially on the high peaks 

I dug a pit on the SE shoulder of divide at around 9600’ and got a ECTP 14 on the persistent weak created during the long dry spell layer buried from this weeks storms.  50cm of snow had fallen up high in the main fork of hyalite since Sunday night.  Total snow depth is 115 cm

Skinned up Beehive Basin, dug a pit on the edge of Tyler's and climbed up to the prayers flags. Winds picked up as we approached the ridge, moving quite a bit of snow. Skinned along the Beehive-Middle ridge for a little ways and then skied down towards Middle and skinned along above the rollover for a while. Dug a pit and returned the way we came.

Snowpit in Tyler's (W facing) was 80 cm deep, with an ECTP13 on the facets mid-pack. Snowpit on the Middle Basin side (E facing) was 120 cm deep, with an ECTP 14 on the facets mid-pack.

On our way back along the ridge we found a small natural windslab that had broken below the cornice during the hour since we had been there last - it broke up to around a foot deep, 20 ft wide, and ran about 15 vertical feet. This was the only avalanche we saw today.

Got a few little cracks in switchbacks along the skintrack while climbing out of Beehive, but no other cracking or collapsing.