Patrol day, Sunday January 16

Route: Snowmobile from Greenrock to Bellamy Lake, through the gap, and around
Medicine Bow Peak. We rendevoued with a group of 15 snowmobilers at Bellamy
Lake.

 
Dug a snow pit on the Northwest side of Medicine Bow Peak. Had difficulty 
finding a site where there had not been snow mobile traffic. 

Snow Pit: 15 to 20 degree slope facing N NW 

The snow pit was dug in a drift of snow between some trees and near some rock 
outcroppings where there had not been apparent snowmobile traffic. The pit
was 8.5 feet deep. The top two feet of snow was consolidated snow, one finger.
The next 4.5 feet  from the top was consolidated snow, wind packed, zero 
finger. A crust layer was at 2 feet from the ground with 2 feet of depth hoar
beneath.  I notified the VIS of moderate avalanche danger.

Car count:   11:30 am

Little Laramie Trail head: 9 cars
Green Rock below turnaround: 101 cars
Green rock west of turnaround: 45 cars

We witnessed a snowmobiler high-marking above Lake Marie roll his snowmobile
about 8 times before it came to rest. Looked like it was going to go to the 
bottom but fortunately for him it stopped. Not my cup of tea.

Highway 130 all the way to Lake Marie is pretty much Like a roller coaster 
ride. Humps in the snow all the way; the road at this point is not very 
skiable.