Date of Observation: 02/18/2021
Name: Eric Murrow Evan Ross
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Location: Slopes below Gothic Rd above East River Valley
Aspect: North, North East, East
Elevation: 9400′ – 9800′
Avalanches:
Weather: Partly cloudy, cool temps, and light winds below treeline.
Snowpack: Moved through an area with shallower snow depths – generally around 90 – 120cm. Many slopes in this area ran naturally around 2/13. Slab thickness in this area was around 60 to 90cm. Ski penetration was around 6″. We experienced a good number of collapses…some by jumping, others just walking about. Some collapses may have traveled a couple of hundred feet producing cracks in one instance. Several collapses occurred immediately above steep northeasterly-facing slopes without cracking or avalanching on slopes below. Overall snowpack structure in this area looks very poor with 1finger slabs resting above well-developed, fist hard Depth Hoar (see image). Test results at two different sites with snow depths of 90cm and 115cm produced ECTP moderate results.
Photos:
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- Test profile from a northeasterly slope with shallower snow depths. Test results and nearby collapses suggest human triggering still a concern.
