Date of Observation: 11/16/2021
Name: Zach Guy and Eric Murrow
Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Redwell Basin. Traveled on northerly aspects to 12,000 ft.
Observed avalanche activity: No
Avalanches: Conducted a crown profile of a previously reported slab avalanche in Redwell Basin. The avalanche broke as a hard slab on 2mm facets near the ground, up to 5 ft deep on a windloaded bowl below a cliff band. We measured debris piles up to 9 feet deep. See photos.
Weather: Few clouds increased to overcast. Moderate swirling winds in the basin with strong gusts and periods of blowing snow. A short pulse of light snowfall passed this afternoon.
Snowpack: Below 10,000 feet, the snowpack is moist and less than 6″ deep. Above that, the snowpack transitioned to unsupportive facets, 1 to 2.5 mm in size, generally fist hard, and less than 2 feet deep. In short, it’s a rotten, sugary mess that will be a serious weak layer issue in the future. Previously wind loaded terrain is the only place where we could find any kind of slab. We experienced a couple of shallow, localized collapses in a wind drifted ravine. Otherwise, we traveled in weaker, trapdoor snow with no signs of instability, just dodging sharky rocks.
Photos:
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- Crown profile in Redwell Basin
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- Looking up at the crown. Skier near the top right flank for scale.
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- This avalanche, which ran last week, broke on weak facets on the ground.
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- Looking north from Redwell Basin. Significant differences in snow coverage between our two forecast zones.
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- We triggered a small collapse and crack in this wind drift.
