Date of Observation: 03/13/2022
Name: Zach Guy
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Snowmobiled on various aspects to the headwaters of Cement Creek, up to 12,000 ft.
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: More small wet loose activity today at all elevations, southern half of the compass. A few fresh cornice falls on Double Top to D1.5. A handful of small to large wind slabs that probably ran Friday above treeline. One deeper and fresher looking slab avalanche on a SE facing slope above treeline on Gothic Peak that ran sometime in the past few days.
Weather: Warm and sunny most of the day. Clouds quickly increased to overcast from 3 to 4 p.m. Moderate ridgetop winds this afternoon were starting to drift snow.
Snowpack: Still getting fairly consistent shooting cracks and remotely triggered mini slabs in creek beds below treeline on untrammeled shady aspects. Signs of instability diminished as I got higher in elevation, although I did get easy propagating results under a 2 foot slab on the Double Top Ridgeline (NE aspect, 11,600′). These instabilities are all on the sandbox layer, 18″ to 24″ deep, on average fist to fist+ hard and 2mm in size. Tried snowmobile cutting several hard wind slabs above treeline on small, supported features and the only result was me getting bucked off the sled.
Photos:
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[accordion_item title=”Avalanche Report #1″ parent_id=”my-accordion” open=”false”]Estimated avalanche date: 03/12/2022
Number of Avalanches: 1
Location
Location: Gothic Mountain
Location Specific:
Start Zone Elevation: ATL: Above Tree Line
Aspect: SE
Characteristics
Trigger: Natural
Trigger modifier:
Type: Soft Slab
Failure Plane: Unknown
Size
Relative Size: R2 small
Destructive Size: D2 – could bury, injure, or kill a person
Avg. crown height (inches):
Avg. width (feet):
Avg. vertical run (feet):
Involvements
# of people caught:
# of partial burials:
# of full burials:
Additional comments: Could be a hard slab. Date estimated. Crown looks very fresh so it either ran at the end of the wind loading event (Friday night) or later. Crown also looks deeper than the other wind slabs noted on similar aspect.
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Estimated avalanche date: 03/11/2022
Number of Avalanches: 2
Location
Location: Middle Brush Creek (Pearl Pass Road, Cumberland Basin, Twin Lakes)
Location Specific:
Start Zone Elevation: ATL: Above Tree Line
Aspect: SE
Characteristics
Trigger: Natural
Trigger modifier:
Type: Soft Slab
Failure Plane:
Size
Relative Size: R2 small
Destructive Size: D2 – could bury, injure, or kill a person
Avg. crown height (inches):
Avg. width (feet):
Avg. vertical run (feet):
Involvements
# of people caught:
# of partial burials:
# of full burials:
Additional comments: Wind slabs
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Estimated avalanche date: 03/12/2022
Number of Avalanches: 3
Location
Location: Cement Creek
Location Specific:
Start Zone Elevation: ATL: Above Tree Line
Aspect: NE
Characteristics
Trigger: Natural
Trigger modifier:
Type: Cornice
Failure Plane:
Size
Relative Size: R1 very small
Destructive Size: D1.5
Avg. crown height (inches):
Avg. width (feet):
Avg. vertical run (feet):
Involvements
# of people caught:
# of partial burials:
# of full burials:
Additional comments: Double Top. Date estimated
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