Elephants back pit

Location Name: 
Elephants back
Region: 
Carson Pass Area
Observation Date & Time: 
Tuesday, November 9, 2021 - 15:26
Location: 
38.682500, -119.980684
See map: CalTopo
Is this an Avalanche Observation?: 
No


Conditions Alerts:

  • Recent Loading
  • Recent Loading›Rain on Snow
  • Recent Loading›Snowfall Rates of More Than 1 in/hr
Observation made by: Guide at Blackbird Mountain Guides

Tabs

Observation
Description of Snow, Weather, and Avalanche Conditions: 

We went out to Elephants back to asses the new snow conditions. We dug a pit under the line we rode, with a layer ID, hand hardness, CT and ECT. The weak layer appeared to be on the new snow/old snow interface. No signs of propagation. The new snow was very wet and heavy, actively being rained on. The old snow has frozen over and is becoming a solid base. There was also a wind event yesterday, we observed the same area, it was an ice skating rink with sprinkles of sugar on the surface. 

natural wind slab during storm, triggered by cornice fall, debris and crown mostly covered by new snow. 

Snowpit or crown profile photo or graph: 
Hide Snowpack Details
Total Snow Depth: 
56cm
Persistent Weak Layers: 
Buried
Hide Terrain Details
Terrain: elevations: 
Above Treeline
Terrain: aspects: 
E
Hide Avalanche Details
Avalanche Type: 
Wind Slab
Failure Plane/Weak Layer: 
Storm Snow
Hide Trigger
Trigger: 
Natural
Trigger Modifier: 
Cornice Fall Triggered
Hide Terrain
Start Zone Slope Angle: 
50degrees
Aspect: 
Northeast
Starting Elevation: 
above-treeline
Hide Size
Destructive Size: 
D1 Relatively harmless to people.
Relative Size: 
R2 Small
Crown Height: 
Less than 1 ft
Hide People Involved
Number of people caught: 
0
Number of partial burials: 
0
Number of full burials: 
0
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