Observation type - Snowpack
Observer - Hans Ludwig
Keep me anonymous if published - no
Location (general area) - Baden Powell (San Gabriels)
Date (yyyymmdd) -  20141215
Time - 11:00
Road conditions to area - Clear
Temperature - 0º C
Sky - few clouds (up to 2/8)
Wind speed - Moderate (17-25mph Small trees sway/ flags stretched)
Wind direction - S
Slope aspect - North
Aspect in degrees - 340
Slope angle - 40°
Elevation - 8400'
Snow depth - 32cm
Boot/ Ski penetration - 1-2" (3-5cm)
Precipitation - None
Activity, recent avalanches - No
Whumphing noises, shooting cracks, collapsing - no
Rapid warming - no
Obvious avalanche path - yes
Terrain trap - yes

Comment -  At 7:30 (0ºC) a few inches of icy snow covered the parking lot. I ran out behind the closed gate to scope out “the face” just past the bridge; covered to the bottom with 4-6” of light (not dense) snow. It appeared since the storm, wind came from the south depositing snow on NW & NE aspects.  

The trail was skinable right from the cars. There are two places with brand-newly fallen trees blocking the trail within the first mile. Otherwise it's clear and snow covered to the top.

I came in, expecting a pineapple express (right-side up) snowpack. Once on the trail, pole and hand-shear tests showed at least three different layers: sugary bottom (F), something firmer (4F), and a cohesive sugary top (F). Oh rats!  
In some places really lose, saltated, broken particles (DFbk) would collect, filling in boot holes on the trail. This made traversing particular slopes on the first two miles of trail kind of sketchy as the snow would wash out underneath you.

The vast majority of ski penetration was clean, around an inch or two deep. Occasionally there were small cracks an inch-ans-a-half away from the ski surrounding the boot.


Two pits:
******************
11:00 am
8400'
∠40º 
NNW aspect
32cm deep snowpack

9cm (F)
9cm (1F)
12cm (4F)
*Talus*

STN
CT15(RP) Q2 @ 12 cm from bottom
CT15(RP) Q2 @ 12 cm from bottom
ECTN15(RP) Q2 @ 12 cm from bottom

The resistant fracture was so subtle I did two CTs.
With scores of 15, I figured, “No big deal. Keep moving”

******************************
12:00 pm
8900'
-5ºC
∠30º 
N Aspect
35cm deep snowpack

4 cm (F) decomposing gaupel 2mm + wind deposited snow
9 cm (4F) 1mm
15 cm (F) 1mm
*talus*

STN
CT5(RP) Q2 @15cm from bottom
CT5(RP) Q2 @15cm from bottom
ECTN10(RP) Q2 @15cm from bottom

Again with the subtle fracture, I did two CTs.
Scores of 5 made me want to start measuring crystal size and reassess our plan. With the same crystal size between the two suspect layers *and* the fact I couldn't even get it to propagate under the entire shovel blade, I stopped worrying so much.  
**************************
Nevertheless, we opted to avoid gullies (plan A) and stick to the trees near the trail. It was simply glorious. It was too long after the storm for face-shots (48+ hrs) but our sluff chased us real good on the steeps. With a little over a foot of powder from 9200' to 8000' the sharks were well hidden. In fact we rode from 9200' to within a quarter mi from the cars; but they came out lower down (we both got minor dings in our bases). 

Publish this observation - Yes I would like this observation Published

Panoramic stitch of "The Face" from the road