Forum ridge N slope lower

Is this a point observation or a summary of your day?

Point observation

Elevation above sea level

1,800m

Elevation band

• Below treeline

Aspect

• NE

Snowpack depth

185cm

Did you observe whumpfing?

Yes

Did you observe cracking?

No

Foot penetration

30cm

Ski penetration

10cm

Snowpack test result

Hard

Snowpack test fracture character

Sudden (`pop` or `drop`)

Snowpack test failure depth

25cm

Surface conditions

• New snow

Snowpack test failure layer crystal type

• Surface hoar

Failure at 20cm after 5 hard hits between two soft slabs on what looked like a very thin surface hoar layer. Interestingly,the failure was not on the 45 cm ice crust layer. Only one test was done, on low angle terrain ~10°, NE aspect, in thin trees.

Significant whumpfing observed under skier weight on low angle and convex roll terrain. We suspected the whumpfing was from the 40cm ice layer, but our test didn't fail at this layer.