Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center

The top layer of mid-February snow was about 10cm thick and we got a score of PST 15/100 SF @94cm with the slab fracture occurring at the same location as the saw, 15cm. We loaded another 20-30cm of snow on top of undisturbed snowpack and let it sinter for 2 hours. We isolated a new PST column. When we performed the new loaded-slab simulation PST, we got the same result PST 15/100 SF. But this time the slab fracture went about 15 cm further back. We kept running the saw up the remaining PST column, and the slab propagated a fracture to the end, PST 10/70 End.

A: Nearby this wind skin was 15cm thick, in some spots it was not present. In pit from the same day (https://snowpilot.org/node/38925) the PF and PS were reported incorrect. They should be reversed, PF:30cm and PS:8cm.

The CT15, Q1 @10cm is an outlier. There was a small 15cm tall shrub at the bottom of the CT column with air pockets and extra facet growth around the woody stems.

Numerous bolder in lower 35 cm of pit.

Upper starting zones of Telescope. Very shallow, likely due to wind scouring. About 200 vertical feet lower, the slope appeared to have a deeper snowpack, and was wind loaded. Just 50ft away and over a ridge on a more NE aspect, the slope was 165cm deep.

,