Medicine Bow Nordic Ski Patrol
Patrol Log: Sunday, March 8, 1998
    T. Thibodeau
PATROL LOG, March 9, 1998
Arrived Green Rock trail head about 10:00 am Sunday morning.  Skied with a friend on the Libby Creek trail, upper part of the Barber Lake trail and finished the day by making some turns on "Tom's" Hill in Section 19.   

We encountered approximately 12 skiers on the trail and another 10 at the trail head.  At 10:00 am there were approximately 120 vehicles at the Green Rock trail head, 12 vehicles at the Little Laramie trail head, 5 vehicles at the Corner Mountain trail head, and 2 vehicles at the end of the Barber Lake road.

SNOWPIT DATA

Observer:               Todd Thibodeau
Date and Time:          12:00, March 9, 1998
Location:               N. ridge of Libby Creek
                        (SE, NE, SE, NW Sec. 19, T16N, R78W)
Elevation:              10000 feet
Surface Roughness:      Smooth
Aspect:                 Southeast Facing, partially treed
Incline:                10 degrees
Sky:                    Clear, no wind (really)
Air Temp:               -4 C
Precipitation:          none
Snow Stake:             52"
Snow Surface:           Fresh Snow, unmetamorphosed

Starting at the surface there was about 17 cm of unmetamorphosed new snow.  The next 15 cm consisted of a three finger slab with small rounded crystals (< 0.5 mm).  The next 22 cm consisted of unconsolidated fist snow with large crystals (< 3.0 mm).  The next 10 cm consisted of 2 finger slab with small rounded crystals (> 0.5 mm).  The next 30 cm consisted of a four finger slab with small faceted crystals (> 1.0 mm).  The remaining 40 cm consisted of unconsolidated depth hoar with very large crystallization (> 4.0 mm).  The temperature of the snow pack at the surface was -1 C.  It dropped to -3 C at 20 cm below the surface and dropped to -4 C at 30 cm below the surface.  The temperature remained at -4 C until the beginning of the bottom depth hoar layer at about 95 cm below the surface.  The temperature rose from -4 C at 95 cm below the surface to about 0 C at the ground.

A shovel sheer test revealed shear plains at 32 cm, 64 cm, and 94 cm below the surface.  Below these shear plains is bottomless highly faceted/unconsolidated snow.  It would appear the snow pack is unstable at this time.  This is a moderately treed slope subject to considerable wind side loading.
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Page last modified March 9, 1998
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