Northern Madison

Unintentionally triggered a large cornice collapse on the south face of the Sphinx.  I should have expected it, but it was certainly touchier than I was anticipating. Intermittent wind gusts kept upper elevations cooler and we found somewhat cold snow up high. At treeline and below it was hot and crusty! Photos show cornice before and after. 

Roughly 2 inches of new snow in the parking lot at Bear Canyon.  Up high on the top of Mt Ellis at 8300 feet there was 6 to 8 inches.  Did a column test and it broke on the new snow layer above the crust about 23 cm down from the top at 3 taps from the elbow.  Then we kept going and got it to fail at the weak layer near the bottom of the snowpack at 6 taps from the shoulder.

Toured around Beehive Basin midday 4/6. Very light dusting, no concerns with new snow. Solid 5-10cm supportable refreeze. Hand pits going from 9,400ft to the summit on the SW face of 10,602’ had moist but not wet snow beneath the new crust and a secondary more stout crust 30cm down. The moist snow between the crusts turned to facets as we moved up the face into rockier areas, with depth hoar at ground. We then skinned to the base of 4th of July, which had tracks and refrozen wet loose debris. We dug a pit right below 4th of July @10,200ft and got ECTP12 45cm down within a thin 1cm melt-freeze crust. Surprisingly the snow above the layer was not nearly as saturated as other aspects, we turned around there.

Observed on 04/05/2024: "Photo of recent loose wet avalanches that likely happened 24-48 hours ago on SW-W aspect at ~9800'" Photo: Z. Peterson

Observed on 04/05/2024: "Photo of recent loose wet avalanches that likely happened 24-48 hours ago on SW-W aspect at ~9800'" Photo: Z. Peterson

Toured into Beehive Basin on 04/05/2024. Light freeze overnight ~0.5" crust with wet snow below on most slopes. Treed areas did not freeze. Clouds along with a cold south wind kept many slopes from softening. By 11:30 sunny slopes below 9000' had become wet and made for poor ski conditions. Attached are photos of recent loose wet avalanches that likely happened 24-48 hours ago. All attached photos on SW-W aspects at ~9800'