Local Observations

Date	Name	Location	New Snow	Winds	Sky/Clouds	Layers	Recent Avalanche Activity	Observations/Assessments
4/8/12	Erik Stevens	Lutak Area	0	calm	clear	Isothermal snowpack at sea level and sunny lower slopes yields to a hard frozen pack above treeline (with a nice facetted surface that makes for great skiing!). A few areas of surface wind slabs in the alpine seem pretty well bonded in place.	Lots of ongoing debris shed from steep areas in the sun. Glide cracks on many steep sunny slopes, but no full-depth avalanches seen yet.	It feels like winter is over, but we still should see an increase in slide activity as the mid levels warm and the higher, steeper slopes turn to mush.

Date	Name	Location	New Snow	Winds	Sky/Clouds	Layers	Recent Avalanche Activity	Observations/Assessments
3/11/12	Erik Stevens	Mulford\'s	24\" above 1500ft	calm	2/8	Pit work showed old snow crust 1m down. Above that 3 or so storm layers within the 1m of powder were triggering with moderate strength.	Scary crown in the (North-facing) chutes above the lake at the end of the Mulford road. The slide was about 60cm deep,100m wide, and ran about 500m vertical in steep chutes. R4 D3+	Lots of predictable skier-triggered slabs on test slopes that were ski cut. All failing about 30cm down at the newest snow interface. Multiple aspects, 35-40 degrees, all above 1500ft.

Date	Name	Location	New Snow	Winds	Sky/Clouds	Layers	Recent Avalanche Activity	Observations/Assessments
3/4/12	Jeffrey Moskowitz	Transitional Zone - 2,500ft	Total maybe a foot to foot and a half	Calm	Partly cloudy 1/3	Shortly before triggering a slab on a 35-40 degree wind feature in the trees.. Group had dug a pit at 32 degrees found a semi reactive soft layer at 20cm down. This was fresh snow that sat on top of the prior weeks snow at 40cm down. This layer was soft to medium and also mildly reactive. Another layer was discovered at 70cm down and looked like it had some surface hoar formations on the shear.	After digging the pit and assessing this particular slope as within our risk acceptance level (CT scores were between 15-20 Q2, Q3 and ECT NP) the group made their way back up into the trees to make some turns down onto the slope where the pit was just dug. While ski cutting a 40 degree NE aspect pocket in the trees (where wind had blown in \"nice looking fresh new snow\") skier 1 released a ~40cm soft slab which broke down the slope. Anticipating this slide skier 1 rode off and into the trees, safely avoiding the slide\'s path.	The slide was about 10-15 yards long but ran on a smooth hear surface, probably the 40cm down layer that was just identified in the pit. The slide was about 10-15 yards wide and ran on a smooth shear surface, probably the 40cm down layer that was just identified in the pit. The slide was not consequential to the rider in this scenario but was definitely a high consequence pocket had the rider not been aware by making the ski cut first. Skier 1 noted the force of the snow as it came into the trees and the feeling of a slab breaking out from underneath them. A good reminder to not let your guard down and always approach suspect slopes with caution.

Date	Name	Location	New Snow	Winds	Sky/Clouds	Layers	Recent Avalanche Activity	Observations/Assessments
2/26/12	Jeffrey Moskowitz	30° on a N-NE aspect at 2,580ft	0\"	Calm	Overcast	Identified a storm crust at 30cm and a melt freeze crust at 60cm down. At 100cm there was a weaker layer that was not reactive to any compression test but produced a hard Q1-Q2 with a shovel sheer test. Also noted a weak layer at 245cm found probing. Shovel sheer tests were very easy at 30cm Q2, easy at 60cm Q2, and medium at 85cm Q2. Ran two compression tests and got results on the 30cm layer: CT23 Q3 and CT14 Q3. Ran one extended column test with results on the 30cm layer: ECT 16 Q3 (not a very uniformed propagation). Crystal size decreased in size with depth. At the surface to 30cm observed 5mm surface hoar formations changing into facets at 60cm then 3mm melt-freeze grains at 65-70cm and a 1/2mm wet grain at 150cm. Temperatures got steadily warmer with -9.4c at the surface to -3.3c at 100cm. Noticed the largest temp jump of -10.0c at 20cm to -6.4c at 40cm.	Noticed an old crown in the glades around 1,500ft ~20 yards wide maybe a foot deep, possibly had been wind loaded.	Careful of that surface hoar layer in the next big storm. Steeper wind loaded pockets at higher elevation could step down and produce larger slides. Look for that dangerous hollow feel in wind effected layers!

Date	Name	Location	New Snow	Winds	Sky/Clouds	Layers	Recent Avalanche Activity	Observations/Assessments
Feb 24, 2012	Will Wacker	NW Takhin Ridge	- new transport	NW 15-20mph gusts to 30.	partly cloudy	Colder weather, and a few days of healing seems to have stabilized the upper weak layer (35-40cms), since the last snow fall. Pit at 3000ft showed better bonding. Shovel test proved Hard Sheer at same layer. Compression test, similar, proved Hard Sheer at CT 25, Q3. However higher up at 3500-4000ft new snow was cross loading from the North producing reactive, skier triggered, shallow slabs 10-25cms in exposed zones.	Isolated, skier triggered slabs 10-25cms in exposed zones above 2000ft.	Last weeks week layer at 35cms seems to have healed. Keep an eye out for new surface layer snow transported on eastern slopes.

Date	Name	Location	New Snow	Winds	Sky/Clouds	Layers	Recent Avalanche Activity	Observations/Assessments
Feb 22, 2012	Will Wacker	NE Tukgahgo	18in @ 3500ft	calm	overcast	Pit Dug at 1000meters, NE aspect Tukgahgo, slope angle 38. Shovel test produced \"very easy\" fracture at 45cms (18\"). Compression test produced borderline \"moderate\" sheer at CT11. Q2. 45cms. Deeper weak layers found at 60cms(24\"), though better bonded, and 85cms(34\"). Some evidence of buried depth hoar/rounded snow grain at 85cms.	natural slab observed at 800 meters NE aspect of Tukgahgo. Crown depth 40-50cms, angle 35, 100+meters wide, runout 300meters.	upside down snow is right. south wind around the 20th also affect open areas at least on lutak side. good news is a ski cut at open area of pit did\'nt produce any results and the tree skiing was great.

Date	Name	Location	New Snow	Winds	Sky/Clouds	Layers	Recent Avalanche Activity	Observations/Assessments
2/12/12	Erik Stevens	26-mile	12	moderate, south	6/8	A foot of new snow Above 1500ft, blown to 2ft deep in areas. Wind slabs in the new snow above treeline. Below 1500ft the snow was saturated a meter deep.	The only activity visible was old crowns from several days ago. Nothing but loose sloughs noted within the new snow.	Wind slabs above treeline were easy to trigger on convex test slopes, running on a layer within the storm snow. The weakness is out there, but the snow is not highly stressed.

Date	Name	Location	New Snow	Winds	Sky/Clouds	Layers	Recent Avalanche Activity	Observations/Assessments
1/24/12	Jim Green	State Fairground in Haines						As I snowshoed across the old horse arena the whole area settled with a big whomp! After so much light dry snow I was surprised by this as I thought there would be no distinct layers in it, and not much weight anyway. But you did mention the development of a weak layer via faceting, so you are on top of it. Better to be on top of it than under it! Keep up the good work.

Date	Name	Location	New Snow	Winds	Sky/Clouds	Layers	Recent Avalanche Activity	Observations/Assessments
12/29/11	Erik Stevens	Mulford\'s	very deep	moderate, SE	snowing	Near and above treeline there are surface windslabs of varying thickness that are very touchy. In many areas these are only a few inches thick, but deeper in some spots. We set off many of these slabs on small test slopes.	Easy triggering of the surface wind slabs on small test slopes.	The best skiing is in the trees right now.

Date	Name	Location	New Snow	Winds	Sky/Clouds	Layers	Recent Avalanche Activity	Observations/Assessments
12/10/11	Brennon Whitermore	The pass, below the SW peak of nadahini	3in down low, windblown higher	weak out of the west	clear	there was a rain crust 3 1/2 in down and another weak layer 1ft 6in down unknown cause	kicked off small sluf when traveling above a steep wind loaded slope	it\'s variable an touchy up there

Date	Name	Location	New Snow	Winds	Sky/Clouds	Layers	Recent Avalanche Activity	Observations/Assessments
11/26/11	Erik Stevens	Ripinsky - 3920 ridgeline	10	calm	6/8		Size 3 and 4 natural slab avalanches ran yesterday on steep NE slopes below Pt. 3920. Crowns are quite deep: 1-2 meters. Many starting zones did not run.

Date	Name	Location	New Snow	Winds	Sky/Clouds	Layers	Recent Avalanche Activity	Observations/Assessments
11/17/11	Erik Stevens	NE flanks of Ripinski, ~1500ft	4 to 6 feet	calm in sheltered valley, windy on the fjord, no visible wind transport on high ridges	clear	Below treeline, I found deep unconsolidated snow all the way to the ground with no discernible weakness or layering.	Scanned the high bowls and ridges and saw no signs of slab avalanche activity, only a few small dry-loose slides coming down from steep/cliffy areas.	herculean trailbreaking.

Date	Name	Location	New Snow	Winds	Sky/Clouds	Layers	Recent Avalanche Activity	Observations/Assessments
10/28/11	Erik Stevens	Porcupine Area	24+	moderate, NW	5/8	Snowpack above treeline is made up of several moist storm layers of similar properties, about 4-5ft deep on average. Did not see any weakness or faceted crystals at the bottom. Windslabs of varying thickness exist on the surface and they are touchy, sliding on hidden layers within the new storm snow.	Saw one fresh crown at about 4000ft on a 38-degree North aspect, heavily wind-loaded area. Observed small natural soft slabs running throughout the day on a cross-loaded NE slope with angles between 30 and 40 degrees.	NW winds came in and immediately changed conditions from moderately stable to unstable in less than an hour.

Date	Name	Location	New Snow	Winds	Sky/Clouds	Layers	Recent Avalanche Activity	Observations/Assessments
9/29/11	Erik Stevens	Rainbow Glacier	heavy above 3500ft	light, NW	lifting above mt. tops	A few heavy snows above 3500ft are creating fresh layers. Avalanche season is here.	Spotted two new natural soft slab avalanches on a steep N aspects above the Rainbow Glacier, Chilkat Range. Each looked 2-3ft deep, ran about 1500ft. Both estimated R2or3 D2.5. Occurred at an elevation of about 4500ft. Viewed from Haines.	Expect winter conditions and a layered snowpack in many areas above 3500ft.