Date of Observation: 12/08/2022
Name: Zach Guy
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Clear visibility sunset obs from Mt. CB, looking out towards south to west facing terrain of Copper Creek, Teo, Pearl Pass, and north facing terrain of Whetstone.
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: Similar to our cycles earlier in December, the southwest quadrant stayed pretty quiet out there. A lot of those slopes were bare dirt. I spotted 6 persistent slabs, D1-D2, that released sometime in the past few days out of concave gullies on west facing terrain A/NTL, low on slopes below wind erosion. Gothic’s east face produced a fresh D2 to the ground today. There was a wide propagating crown across Hidden Lake Bowl on Whetstone that looks older (Tuesday storm), and a few of smaller ones that looked crisp enough to be from today. And a cute ‘lil pocket on the southeast side of Avery that looks like it was triggered by a cornice fall today.
Weather:
Snowpack:
Photos:
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Hidden Lake Bowl on Whetstone. N to NE facing
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Fresh brown stain since yesterday on East Face of Gothic
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Twin lakes basin. Westerly facing
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Cumberland Basin. wester;u facing
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Avery, south to southeast facing
Estimated avalanche date: 12/06/2022
Number of Avalanches: 4
Location
Location: Middle Brush Creek (Pearl Pass Road, Cumberland Basin, Twin Lakes)
Location Specific:
Start Zone Elevation: ATL: Above Tree Line
Aspect: W
Characteristics
Trigger: Natural
Trigger modifier:
Type: Hard Slab
Failure Plane:
Size
Relative Size: R1 very small
Destructive Size: D1- Relatively harmless to people
Avg. crown height (inches):
Avg. width (feet):
Avg. vertical run (feet):
Involvements
# of people caught:
# of partial burials:
# of full burials:
Additional comments: Cumberland Basin. Persistent slabs. Failure date and slab hardness are estimated.
Estimated avalanche date: 12/06/2022
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: W
Characteristics
Trigger: Natural
Trigger modifier:
Type: Hard 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: Cumberland Basin x1 and Twin Lakes x1. Persistent slabs. Failure date and slab hardness are estimated.
Estimated avalanche date: 12/06/2022
Number of Avalanches: 1
Location
Location: Mount Whetstone
Location Specific:
Start Zone Elevation: ATL: Above Tree Line
Aspect: NE
Characteristics
Trigger: Natural
Trigger modifier:
Type: Unknown
Failure Plane: Old snow
Size
Relative Size: R2 small
Destructive Size: D2.5
Avg. crown height (inches):
Avg. width (feet):
Avg. vertical run (feet):
Involvements
# of people caught:
# of partial burials:
# of full burials:
Additional comments: Hidden Lake Bowl. Wrapped N to NE aspect. Failure date estimated.
Estimated avalanche date: 12/08/2022
Number of Avalanches: 3
Location
Location: Mount Whetstone
Location Specific:
Start Zone Elevation: ATL: Above Tree Line
Aspect: NE
Characteristics
Trigger: Natural
Trigger modifier:
Type:
Failure Plane: Old snow
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: Hidden Lake Bowl
Estimated avalanche date: 12/08/2022
Number of Avalanches: 1
Location
Location: Gothic Mountain
Location Specific:
Start Zone Elevation: ATL: Above Tree Line
Aspect: E
Characteristics
Trigger: Natural
Trigger modifier:
Type: Soft Slab
Failure Plane: Old snow
Size
Relative Size: R1 very 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: East face. Fresh brown stain since yesterday afternoon.
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