Public Observation - Swan Range Tour

Location Name: 
Public Observation - Pendant Area, Swan Range
Region: 
Swan Range - South (south of Swan Lake)
Date and time of observation: 
Tue, 01/26/2016 - 12:00
Location Map: 

Red Flags: 
Whumphing noises, shooting cracks, or collapsing
Rapid warming
Observation made by: Public
Snowpit Observations
More detailed information about the snowpack: 

Toured in the Southern Terminus of the Swan Range from dates 01/26-01/29. Skiied Waldbillig, Shaw, and Lena. Found significant variability within the snowpack (layers/depth).

Sky weather was mostly cloudy for duration of tour; rapid warming and roller balls observed during sun outbreaks (affecting snow well into the 7000ft range, on all aspects). Experienced intermittent rain on the evening of 01/27 (we camped at the cusp of snowline-rainline, approximately 6500ft.) Wind was sporadic the entire trip, ranging from calm to gale force in the higher terrain...

Toured through a recent burn scar (Lena Lake Fire, SW aspect, 7000ft) and found significant depth hoar (presumably from the recent fire activity, ground still relatively warmer when first snows began to fall? Something I found interesting due to the large amount of recent fire activity during the 2015 fire season).

No natural avalanches were observed during our tour. Experienced whumpfing once while touring up Lena Peak (7200ft, W aspect, windblown, rock outcroppings).

Realize this was almost a week ago already, but hope the information helps... 

Snowpack photos: 
Activity: 
Skiing