Observations from Andesite

Our group toured around Andesite today during an AIARE 1 with the objective of taking observations. Prior to entering the field we had anticipated widespread instabilities and closed all avalanche terrain during our trailhead check. Temps were cold this morning, the upper snowpack seemed to have lost a bit a moisture overnight and was considerably less dense than the day prior. As we moved through the terrain our objectives were to track the current PWL's and target windslabs. Pole probing and boot pen reassured our assumptions of a still unsupportable and upside down snowpack. 

As we gained higher elevations we noticed recent wind transport and deposits, although to our surprise the slabs were more on the softer side of the spectrum for windslabs. We targeted a small test slope with a cornice on it, stomped on the cornice and a small wind pocket released when the cornice failed and hit the small slope below it. This slope has the potential to propogate a bit, but it did not, only a small pocket below the cornice drop released. Other small test slopes along Andesite ridge showed windslab development, but none produced any results.

We dug into the snow on an east aspect at 8100' to target near treeline persistent weak layers, we were able to find consistent snowpack depths of 100-110cm in the area. We were easily able to identify the Dec 11, Dec 17 and new/old interfaces with our eyes. The area we dug, while pretty much due east, had a very stout crust layer above the Dec 11 facets, the grains underneath the crust resembled the shapes of facets with rounding edges, but felt moist to the touch, and easily formed a snowball when squeezed. We were surprised to see this kind of metamorphism, especially due to the fact that we have seen well developed facets in matching aspect/elevation elsewhere in the area. We did not feel this to be a great representation of what may be going on in other parts of the range and attribute our findings to the amount of rock in the area. At the same time, we cant help but wonder if the deepening snowpack is helping to heal one of our weak layers in select locations. Although, our group did have multiple moderate results on the Dec 17 layer with compression tests, with a somewhat rough shear quality (Q2) and did have a PST-END at 45cm on the Dex 17 layer. The Dec 17 layer had a distinguishable crust about 3cm thick with small facets forming underneath, which was what our tests were failing on.