Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 01/24/2020
Name: Elias G
Subject: Evans/Elk
]Aspect: East, South East, South, South West
Elevation: 9400 – 12000
Avalanches: Numerous loose dry/point releases from rock bands on E/SE aspects; majority seemed to be from yesterday and a few from today. Could make out old, large wind slab avalanche up high in Evans but most of it filled back in. No new larger slides in Evans.
Upon gaining the ridge, saw a large slide on SE face of Ruby (SS-N-D3-I but very far away so hard to tell) and a large slide on E face Ruby/Owen ridge (SS-N-D3-I). Both start zones ATL.
Around 1330 as we were snacking and transitioning, a point release from a rock band triggered a small slab avalanche on a NTL, SE/S slope (SS-N-D1/2-S, we were a good distance away).
Weather: CLR all morning with FEW to SCT cloud cover by afternoon. Temperatures were in single digits at TH but felt comfortable. Increased to upper teens/low 20’s rest of the day. While skinning, felt really warm/hot but when regrouping/snacking it was primo. Calm winds most of day until we reached our highest point on the ridge, then just light winds.
Just a great day to be wandering around in the hills.
Snowpack: ~25-30cm HST since Tuesday 21st. Ski pen ~20-25cm most of the day. SW aspect more affected on open terrain and NTL but once a bit lower and sheltered, stellar.
We regrouped in a more open, almost flat area in Evans and when the four of us got together really close we noticed a collapse in the pack. After that we all started to notice more collapsing on our skin up and soon after they were not observed anymore.
Snow on S facing slopes BTL to NTL was getting heavy and moist.
Got on 35* E aspect test slope and had no action then moved on to 38-40* and saw some cracking and small amount of snow to move underneath my ski; seemed to be within the storm snow.
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