Observation type
Snowpack

Observer
Ian Bryant 

Keep me anonymous if published
no

Location (general area)
Angeles crest 

Latitude

Longitude

Date (yyyymmdd)
20260223

Time
1130

Road conditions to area

Temperature
45

Sky
few clouds (up to 2/8)

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

Wind direction
W

Wind direction in degrees

Slope aspect
North East

Aspect in degrees

Slope angle
30

Elevation
8650

Snow depth
125cm 

Boot/ Ski penetration
Top boot 

Precipitation
None

Brief description

Whumphing noises, shooting cracks. collapsing
no

Rapid warming
yes

Obvious avalanche path
yes

Terrain trap
yes

Comment
February 23, 2026
Snow pit data ne aspect 8640’
Climbed and skied from 9400’

Started our tour later in the morning... At trailhead by 830am and climbed to 9400’ by 1230. 

The day started warm, and warm it did stay. New snow from last weeks storm cycle is now transitioning quickly with rapid daytime warming. Below 8k the snow is variable with firm conditions on colder northern aspects and spring conditions on sunnier east aspects. Touring today was met with substantial glopping on our climbing skins while temperatures rose through late morning. Last weeks snow is transitioning fast. Before things warmed up we found the skinning easy going, but that didn’t last long… 

The stubborn bonding issue we observed and submitted in obvs days prior seems to have sorted itself out as we did not observe any unusual snow behavior while climbing, but it presented itself in today’s snow pit above 8k. 

We dug in to a shady 30 degree NE aspect at 8650. Total snow depth was 125cm. 

25cm from ground is a very stout layer of ice that is almost impenetrable. Above that is a very nice, stable, singular density storm snowpack of 100cm. 

The snow pack has no weak layers, and is a singular 100cm of cohesive finger, to 3-4 finger density all the way to the surface. 

We did get a result though.
CT23 at 15cm from surface released along the stubborn bonding interface we observed days prior. Although it did not propagate, the collapse was sudden and when pulled off showed a mostly smooth shear surface, Q2. 

While riding back down, we did observe some evidence of small roller balls, and very small wet slides on west and some east facing aspects, but of no real significance. 

Publish this observation
Yes I would like this observation Published

Pit at 8650, with noticeable darker band, 15cm from surface, that has a bonding issue.

Q2 shear surface with stubborn bonding interface