Observation type
Snowpack​

Observer
Anonymous

Keep me anonymous if published
yes

Location (general area)
Eastern San Gabriel Mountains

Latitude


Longitude


Date (yyyymmdd)
20211231

Time
1000

Road conditions to area


Temperature
30F

Sky
clear (no clouds)

Wind speed
Light (1-16mph Flags/twigs in motion)

Wind direction
SW

Wind direction in degrees


Slope aspect
North

Aspect in degrees


Slope angle
20, 38

Elevation
7200, 7600

Snow depth
75, 100

Boot/ Ski penetration


Precipitation
None




Activity, recent avalanches
yes

Brief description
very small R1 D1 naturals on adjacent >35 degree ridges

Whumphing noises, shooting cracks. collapsing
no

Rapid warming
no

Obvious avalanche path
no

Terrain trap
no

Comment
NYE tour with a friend from 6400' to 7800'. Below 7000' was awful crunchy melt/freeze crust, ostensibly caused by the warm conclusion to Thursday's storm and the fog that settled into the valley that evening. Surface hoar present on N, NE and NW aspects in the chilly AM hours. Snow became progressively less punchy and crusty above 7000'.


We dug two pits. First at 7200' on a NNE aspect, 20 deg test slope. 75cm deep, 4F hard on the top 25cm, 1F 25-50cm, knife from 0-25--so right side up, with the early season icy layer still present. CT failed at 26 taps on the old icy/new snow interface. Clean shear, yet curiously no evidence of faceted snow observed in previous pits in that area (i.e. pre 12/30 storm)


Second pit at 7,600' on a NNW 38deg test slope. 100cm deep, 4F 70-100cm, 1F 25-70, knife 0-25. CT did not yield a failure at old/new interface like pit in lower NNE slope, and there did not appear to be any faceting deep in the snowpack here, either. Overall snow appeared to be right side up and bonding fairly well.


Winds were picking up from the SW late morning, but we managed to find some fun turns in the trees before the weather intensified. Repeat tour on 1/2/22 revealed severe wind scouring that resulted in highly variable conditions (wind board, breakable crust, mashed potatoes in sun). Alas, such is the ephemeral nature of soft snow in the SG mountains. Hopefully the snow that did fall settles into a nice cohesive base for subsequent storms this winter. Fingers crossed.

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7200ft NNE pit

7600ft NNW pit