14 Feb 98, 9:30 am - 1:00 pm, Snowy Range. About 1 inch of new
snow on the highway from Centennial up to the end-of-the-road. Skied
from the Green Rock Parking Area to the first overlook of the Libby Creek
Loop. At Green Rock, met with a group of snowmachiners from Lander
and discussed equipment for backcountry repairs, survival, avalanche rescue.
Group was interested in use of avalanche transceivers and collapsible probes.
We looked at examples from my patrol pack and demonstrated use.
Dug a snowpit at the first overlook point then skied slope down to Lower
Half of Libby Creek Loop. Light snow fell early in the day.
Significant radio traffic from the nordic ski events at the Special Olympics
was heard throughout the day. The personnel at the Centennial VIS
were experiencing radio difficulties, making contact with this location
questionable. At 1pm I arrived at the Snowy Range Ski Area to talk
with USFS personnel there for the Olympics and confirmed the Centennial
VIS radio problems. A technician was to be sent out during the next
week to "fix" the radio.
SNOWPIT DATA Observer: Jerry Hamann Date and Time: 11:15 am, 14 February 1998 Location: First overlook point on Libby Creek Loop Trail SE Corner of SE1/4, NW1/4, Sec 24 T16N R79W Elevation: 9900 feet Surface Roughness: Smooth powder Aspect: Southeast Facing (120 degrees), Open slope well below ridgeline Incline: 20 degrees Sky: Partly cloudy, sunny Precipitation: Very Light Snow Wind: Light, W Surface snow: Loose powder Total snow depth: 194 cm Foot penetration: 15 cm Ski penetration: 10 cm =============================================================================== H (cm) R F D (mm) W Shovel Comment H (cm) T (C) =============================================================================== Air - 1.0 0 0 - 2.5 FIST Dendrites ~2 dry new powder 10 10 - 3.5 2F Rounded < 1 dry packed powder Sintered 15 1F Rounded < 1 dry hard slab 20 - 3.5 Sintered 30 - 5.5 36 ~ Facets ~ 1 dry surface hoar 37 Many RB jumpes exposed this hoar layer 40 - 5.5 1F Rounded < 1 dry hard slab 50 - 5.0 58 1F Facets 1-2 dry hoar 60 - 5.0 60 Shovel shear with difficulty P-1F Rounded > 1 dry hard slab 70 - 5.0 Sintered 80 - 4.5 90 - 4.0 100 - 4.0 110 - 3.5 120 120 - 3.0 P Rounded > 2 dry icey forms 128 4F Facets 2-3 sugar large crystals 130 - 3.0 140 - 2.5 150 - 2.5 160 - 2.0 170 - 1.5 180 - 1.0 190 - 0.5 194 Ground Missing ice layer seen nearby earlier 194 0 =============================================================================== Remarks: The snowpack has settled significantly from previous observations in this area. Rutschblock and Shovel Shear tests provided few points for concern, other than the surface hoar layer discovered at 36cm (even this took significant loading to break). Skiing the slope from this point down to the valley floor resulted in no observed settling. No obvious fractures observed on the surface. No natural releases observed in any of the terrain traveled. 10:00am W/trailer W/o Car Count: Green Rock 61 34 Turnout Below GR. 18 1 Little Laramie 0 7 Corner Mountain 0 3 Barber Lake Rd. 1 0 Visitors' Center 0 1 Green Rock Snow Stake Data: 37 inches