Date of Observation: 02/22/2023
Name: Zach Guy
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Afternoon rec tour on Mount Emmons, generally NE aspects to 11,300′
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: A pair of natural wind slabs ran today in two of the Climax Chutes, debris ran to the chokes, about 1900′ vert in at least one of them. Couldn’t see the other. Skier triggered a thin storm slab on a steep, sheltered terrain feature, about 6″ thick. Also triggered a sluff that gouged about 18″ deep to the ground through weak facets on a slope that avalanched in January and has since remained shallow and rotting.
Weather: Unpleasant. Significant blowing snow at all elevations, from the southwest where we were. Heavy snowfall around noon fizzled to nil this afternoon. Decreasing temperature trend and some periods of visibility this afternoon after the cold front.
Snowpack: 8″ to 10″ of new snow. There was a mid-storm density change that produced localized cracking in sheltered terrain, and longer shooting cracks in leeward terrain, where drifts were up to 18″ thick where we traveled. There were drifts near ridgeline and near valley bottom.
Photos:
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Mid track debris from a slab that released naturally from a windloaded ridgeline.
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Intense blowing snow off of Whetstone, as well as off the trees at all elevations.
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A skier triggered sluff that gouged to the ground through weak, faceted snow. The debris piled up about 5 or 6 feet deep on a bench at the bottom of this slope.
Estimated avalanche date: 02/22/2023
Number of Avalanches: 1
Location
Location: Mount Emmons
Location Specific:
Start Zone Elevation: NTL: Near Tree Line
Aspect: NE
Characteristics
Trigger: Natural
Trigger modifier:
Type: Soft Slab
Failure Plane: Within storm snow
Size
Relative Size: R2 small
Destructive Size: D2 – could bury, injure, or kill a person
Avg. crown height (inches): 8
Avg. width (feet): 40
Avg. vertical run (feet): 1900
Involvements
# of people caught:
# of partial burials:
# of full burials:
Additional comments: Climax Chutes. Either a D1.5 or D2, shallow slab but ran far and entrained the storm snow.
Estimated avalanche date: 02/22/2023
Number of Avalanches: 1
Location
Location: Mount Emmons
Location Specific:
Start Zone Elevation: NTL: Near Tree Line
Aspect: NE
Characteristics
Trigger: Natural
Trigger modifier:
Type: Soft Slab
Failure Plane: Within storm snow
Size
Relative Size: R1 very small
Destructive Size: D1.5
Avg. crown height (inches): 8
Avg. width (feet): 30
Avg. vertical run (feet):
Involvements
# of people caught:
# of partial burials:
# of full burials:
Additional comments: Climax Chutes
Estimated avalanche date: 02/22/2023
Number of Avalanches: 1
Location
Location: Mount Emmons
Location Specific:
Start Zone Elevation: BTL: Below Tree Line
Aspect: E
Characteristics
Trigger: Skier
Trigger modifier: Controlled
Type: Soft Slab
Failure Plane: Within storm snow
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: Climax Chutes
Estimated avalanche date: 02/22/2023
Number of Avalanches: 1
Location
Location: Mount Emmons
Location Specific:
Start Zone Elevation: BTL: Below Tree Line
Aspect: NE
Characteristics
Trigger: Skier
Trigger modifier: Controlled
Type: Loose
Failure Plane: Ground
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: Climax Chutes. Sluff gouged to ground through faceted snow. Debris pile was about 5 or 6′ deep on a bench
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