The PST with a twist: Comparing the standard PST to the cross slope PST

Submitted by Eric Knoff on Wed, 10/22/2014 - 09:13

Presented at the 2014 ISSW 

In recent years, the propagation saw test (PST) gained popularity for both avalanche professionals and backcountry recreationalists. A limiting factor of the PST is the additional time required to isolate a column on the sidewall of the snowpit. Since I often have limited time to dig multiple pits during a work day, this past season I examined the effectiveness of conducting cross-slope PSTs (CPST). The CPST is simply a PST done across, rather than up, the slope. It is more efficient than the PST, particularly after conducting an extended column test (ECT).