Date of Observation: 01/01/2022 Name: Zach Guy and Eric Murrow
Zone: Southeast Mountains Route Description: West Brush. We traveled mostly on flat terrain or on southwest aspects below treeline.
Observed avalanche activity: Yes Avalanches: Relative to what we’ve documented so far in the Northwest Mountains, avalanche activity out here was smaller, D2 to D2.5, mostly on E to NE aspects from our vantage. There were a few slides that ran yesterday and a few that ran earlier in the storm that required a keen eye to see the debris piles. Those crowns were filled in. Weather: Cooling trend as the day progressed. Moderate northwest winds at ridgetop, with some wind transport near treeline and decent transport above treeline. Partly cloudy skies. Snowpack: No signs of instability observed. We tested the 12/23 interface (small grained, rounding facets) on a southwest slope below treeline and got consistent non-propagating results. Slab thickness was 135 cm, HS 170.
Photos:
Eric pointing out the bottom of our mega storm, where there is a small grained facet layer that is gaining strength and showed no signs of propagation potential here.
Union Chutes. Debris piles from earlier in the cycle
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:
Relative Size: R3 medium 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: Near the intersection with Deer Creek Road
