Detailed Observation

Date2022-03-27
LocationEastern Alaska Range
ObserverFrank Olive
AvalancheN

General Observations

The north/northwest aspects down lower on the Castner Glacier are still holding 20-30cm of snow from the 3/6 and 3/11 storms that has not been wind affected.  We were a large group who did multiple pits on N/NW aspects and almost all the pits showed similar CT and ECT results. Almost all the test showed failure around 15 taps with a resistant planer break at the layer between the 20-30cm of fist hard powder and the layers of 1 finger hard older snow.  None of the ECT tests showed propagation.  There were no natural avalanches or crown lines observed on any north aspects and no other bulls-eye clues of instability were observed.  We climbed on Rum Doodle and got to 5700 without encountering any wind-affected snow or wind slab.  Sweet powder turns all the way down the lower angle NW face of the mountain.  Overall the snowpack there seems pretty right side up now, but there is lots of snow to transport if a wind storm rolls in there and the ever-present depth hoar is always a concern with spring warming.  Some folks further up the Castner at White Princess reported widespread wind slabs on the W/NW aspects there.  

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