Winter Starts: Sacajewea Bowl_2

Winter Starts: Sacajewea Bowl_2

From Erika Birkeland:

Went up to Sac Bowl this morning (Oct 31). Got to the parking lot at about 9:15, and the temperature was 35 degrees. There was 3-4 inches of moist new snow in the parking lot. Hiked up to the bowl, very windy out of the west with light snow and sleet/rain. Found a spot with deep snowpack, east aspect, and dug a pit. Hs=95 cm. ECTN12 10cm down. No other fractures. Dry snow on the ground but the whole snowpack was dense, 1 finger plus and stronger.

Hiked up to a windloaded northeasterly facing gulley. 8 in deep windslabs failing easily with handshears. Started up the gulley and turned around when the wind slab got deeper than about 1 ft. Skiied down, snow supportable, raining hard back at the car.

Photo: K. Birkeland

Bridger Range, 2015-10-31