No Broken Legs, but some broken hearts.

Location Name: 
Swan Range
Observation date: 
Monday, January 10, 2022 - 12:00

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

Location

Tabs

Quick Observation

Heartbreaking to have to decend back into the clouds after a great day in the sunshine. 

  • Sunny skies above 4000ft in our location with no wind, save a few mild breezes coming from the southwest.
  • The rain crust disappeared around 4600ft.
  • Plenty of evidence of wind transport from the past few days. We were able to get a small cornice to fail at our feet. 
  • At the high point of our tour, about 6300ft, we noticed some surface hoar development on the northeast aspect of the ridge we traveled. This surface hoar did not exist on a southwest aspect at the same elevation. 
  • At 6300ft, we found 100cm HS on a southwest aspect. On a northeast aspect, it was 140cm.

We skied/rode down our skin track, with slope angles not exceeding 30 degrees. Looking forward to more sun in the future. 

 

Snowpack, Avalanche, Weather Images: 
Travel Details
Region: 
Swan Range - West Side (Flathead Valley access)
Activity: 
Skiing
Snowboarding
Snowpack Details
Snowpack and Weather Details: 
Hide Terrain
Elevation of observation: 
3500-5000 ft
5000-6500 ft
Aspect(s) of observation: 
N
NE
S
SW
Blowing Snow: 
None
Wind Speed: 
Calm (No air motion)
Wind Direction: 
Southwest
Air temperature: 
Below Freezing
Sky Cover: 
Clear (CLR)