Observation: Juneau Icefield

Location: SE Icefield

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

Spent 5/21-5/25 on the icefield. Put skis on at 2000ft, and probed 320+ cms of snow throughout the icefield proper.

As expected, the mountains are in full meltdown. More glidecracks than we could count. Witnessed multiple cornice failures, and heard or saw dozens of WL avalanches. N facing slopes above the salmon creek reservoir had a few sizeable SS or wet slab crowns.

N side of split thumb had a large wet slab crown. Best guess would time it within the 72hrs prior to 5/23, and failing on the interface between the early May AR snow and old snow. Estimated crown depth of 60cm. Between 5/23and 5/24 10cms of wet heavy snow fell at 4500ft. Liquid water present in the snowpack down to about 1.5m. Outside of a hard refreeze the night of 5/21, boot top bootpen in wet snow.

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