Scary Snow on Lionhead Ridge

Scary Snow on Lionhead Ridge

Date
Activity
Skiing

We (a group of 4) skinned up Lionhead Ridge from the ID/MT border and found troubling conditions. Several small whoomphs were observed in the shallower, bushy snow at lower elevations, and we had a massive (~100-foot propagation) whoomph on the ridge proper where the cornice met the ridge. Accompanying those whoomphs, we observed shooting cracks at multiple low-angle locations. We performed 3 separate pits, the shallowest of which was 48cm @8113' and had an ECTP10. The next two pits were 65cm deep and the SnowPilots are attached. Every single pit had sizeable (~3mm) basal faceting and a pencil-hard ice layer sandwiched with more facets above in the lower snowpack. While cutting a PST, the entire column propagated (Q1) above the ice layer at 25cm from the ground. Be careful out there, the snowpack is super touchy. 

Region
Southern Madison
Location (from list)
Lionhead Ridge
Observer Name
Jackson Krause