Lionhead ECT results and obs

ECT Test Results

Location: 300ft below Lionhead Peak

Elevation: 9250ft

Aspect: East, 88deg

Slope Angle: 33°

Total Snow Depth: 115cm

Result: ECT 22, at 15cm deep (new snow interface).  At this location the top 10cm of new snow was loose, then 5cm of new snow formed into wind slab.  Remaining 100cm of snow ECTX, well consolidated, no visible layers, approx 2F hardness to the ground.  

Comments: Failure at the new snow interface seemed very spatially dependent.  We had an ECT 11 in another area. 

Skied multiple locations along Lionhead Ridge over 3 days, NE to E aspects.  Our observations were in line with the avalanche reports.  New snow was generally 15cm deep and weakly bonded to the existing snowpack.  There was minimal wind transport during this time along the more protected NE aspects along the ridge line, so the snow was not particularly wind loaded or consolidated.  Even so, there was multiple instances of small natural loose snow avalanches on steeper aspects or terrain rollovers.