More propagating tests

Location Name: 
Swan Range - West side
Observation date: 
Thursday, February 4, 2021 - 18:30

Is this an Avalanche Observation: 
No
Observation made by: Public

Tabs

Quick Observation

I went up to Peter's Ridge this afternoon and, at 6400' on a S aspect just off the ridge, I found another ECTP10 failing on SH buried 30 cm down, 10 cm above the mega Jan crust.  I also found a new melt freeze zipper crust 10cm below the surface, just on the SE aspect 5600'-6400'.  Sun must have popped out sometime past few days since I couldn't find it on the north side of the ridge.  Also no failures on it.  I didn't get anything to avalanche on small test slopes (just on N side) and was curious why.  At 5800' NNW, I got an ECTN15 dn 20, with the 1/13 crust 40cm below the surface.  Definitely didn't propagate, so maybe smaller or spottier surface hoar there?  It didn't have tree cover, so I was surprised it hadn't formed.  Didn't have vis to see any ridgeline terrain, and my hunch is that it hadn't tipped the scale for a natural cycle at that location.  Winds stayed light, didn't observe any transport.  Still, I found 3" of fluff on my parked machine at 4900' between 12:30 and 4:00.  

Travel Details
Region: 
Swan Range - West Side (Flathead Valley access)
Route Description: