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Payette Avalanche Center

Public Observation

Observation Details

Observation Date:
May 21, 2023
Submitted:
May 22, 2023
Zone or Region:
Boulder/Jughandle Area
Activity:
Skiing/Snowboarding
Location:
Rapid peak, Maloney Lake

Signs of Unstable Snow

None reported

Observations

You can drive to the summer trailhead for Boulder lake. Hiked on trail to upper lake where I started skinning. Despite the warm overnight temperatures, some snow near water bodies had a superficial freeze, but the majority of the snow was already soft by 8 am.

Snow surface has lots of sun cups and lots of tree debris. In more “alpine” terrain snow was cleaner and less sun cupped. Did not observe any avalanche problems in my travels on NE, west, and north aspects and the snow seems to have transitioned to summer snow in this area. Even at 2 pm on a heavily sun cooked slope, the ski penetration was only 1-2 inches.

Ski cuts did not produce any wet slides, or reveal any deeper instabilities. Evidence of avalanches from the previous warm up were found on north aspects.

Media

“Watermelon” snow and sun cups. Signs of a summer snowpack.
Multiple “dirty” avalanches in north aspects from the previous warming.
Another look at wet slide avalanches.
Snow surface littered with tree debris.
Current condition of upper Boulder lake. Did not trust the ice and skirted around the shoreline.
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