Thread: Newbie snow pit analysis ?

bear with me on this one, cause I'm having a problem interpreting what my tests are telling me vs what my experience leads me to belive


Having taken my Level 1 a couple of weeks back, I've been itching to dig some pits and put some of the stuff I'd learned into practice. However we haven't had much snow until the last week. So out to my backyard I go. Here's what I found

I've got 1" of sun crust sitting on top of 3-4" of faceted snow.(I know its a sorry excuse for a snowpack) everytime I try to dig a pit or try to do a shovel shear test the column fails as the faceted snow collapses under the weight of the crust. This is a major red flag right?


But I know I've skiied in those type of condtions out here on the East Coast and never has anything released. Am I missing something here???

Bridging? Lower Slope angle? Lack of large hard slab? Anchors? Shitty East Coast snowpack?

Um...I don't think 5" is enought to do any "analysis". You've skied in 5" of snow? Honestly, I'd wait until you could get in some real snow. But yeh, bridging. Isolated columns ignore the linear strength of slabs.

Classic early season (and dangerous) depth hoar.

Are you wearing a beacon in your back yard at all times?

Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles

You've skied in 5" of snow?

unfortunately yes But the place is an old abandoned CCC ski trail that has over the years been picked clean of rocks and stumps so its pretty much good to go on a wet heavy 4" base or anytime you have some crust to hold your weight

Other then to say it will be a weak layer to track when and if you get new snow there's not much to add. If you get a big dump check how well the bonds form between the new and old snow. Im not much of a crystal gazer myself but this is one of those cases where getting out the loupe and taking a look at the facets, their size and whether or not they round (or is that sinter? I can never remember) would be kind of cool.

Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles

But yeh, bridging. Isolated columns ignore the linear strength of slabs.

So is bridging usually more of a positive factor with a weak interface than with a weak layer?

I was getting failure while cutting out the back of a column on a weak bond, but jumping on a test slope and nothing budging.

im pretty sure you"ll be ok to ski that dude

You're not getting good snowpit results in a total snowpack of 5" in your upstate NY back yard?

Sounds sketch. Good thing you were transmitting at the time.

Please tell me this is a joke.

well now we've got no snow So I guess that I shouldn't ski in my backyard