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Observation type
Snowpack

Observer
Tony Bird

Keep me anonymous if published
no

Location (general area)

Mt. Pinos

Latitude

Longitude

Date (yyyymmdd)
20200105

Time
noon

Road conditions to area
Plowed bare

Temperature
38-48 F

Sky
clear (no clouds)

Wind speed
Moderate (17-25mph Small trees sway/ flags stretched)

Wind direction
N

Wind direction in degrees

Slope aspect
not observed

Aspect in degrees

Slope angle
25-30

Elevation
8,800'

Snow depth
4 feet

Boot/ Ski penetration
slight


Precipitation
None

Activity, recent avalanches
No

Brief description

Whumphing noises, shooting cracks. collapsing
no

Rapid warming
no

Obvious avalanche path
no

Terrain trap
no

Comment
Good news and bad news on Mt. Pinos.

Want the bad news first? In a word: CRUST. Just about everywhere, except for a few pockets of powder on northern aspects. Skiing was fairly difficult. I used my wide powder boards, which at least did not break through the inch or so of melt-freeze crust. I don't think my smaller skis would have done better.

The good news is: deep coverage, just about everywhere. Both summit meadows are covered so well that there are only a few bushes showing. I tried a run down the SW aspect off Pinos summit, but turning wasn't any fun, so I skinned back up and tried the NW. Not much better, except for those few pockets. But the bushes are all covered, all the way down to the Pinos/Sawmill gully.

Give us another storm--we do have a great base. Otherwise a January thaw spell ought to create a lot of corn, a process which has already begun.

Despite the bare road--took more than a week to open it since the last storm, CHP was checking everyone closely for chains or 4WD. They will look in your trunk. And you need the Adventure Pass up there.

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