Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 12/25/2017
Name: AH
Subject: Widespread collapsing and cracking at Pittsburgh
Aspect: North, North East
Elevation: 10,000
Avalanches:
Our group of 3 headed to Pittsburgh in search of low-angle and manageable terrain for a little Christmas day outing. Where the typical skinner heads into the trees, we got a large collapse on a small roller. Cracks everywhere with a little movement up top, but otherwise the snow held – it’s a small slope, convex roll, and short feature. The cracks propagated across the entire feature, at least 100ft. We poked around looking for a route higher, but we found the same thing higher on the slope. Every slope we approached that was at or near 30 degrees collapsed and cracked, or had already collapsed and cracked before we approached. Being buried from above or being smashed into a tree wasn’t on any of or wish lists, so we headed home to celebrate Christmas dinner with our friends.
Weather: Snowing all day, shifting between graupel and big flakes.
Snowpack: A foot or more of new snow landing on top of facets.
Photos:
