Date of Observation: 02/25/2023
Name: Andrew Breibart
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Washington Gulch TH-Snowcross course next to the road-standard skin track to First Bowl.
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: Observed two small avalanches (D0.5-D1) below cornices on Skooks. These were likely observed in obs from 2/24/23.
Weather: calm in the valley bottom and within the trees with a light wind on the ridge line. Mostly cloudy and temperatures were very warm except on the ridge line in the light wind.
Snowpack: On the lower uptrack observed very small roller balls traveling less than 30 feet on >20 degree slope on one open area. Ventured off the skin track and had no cracking or collapsing. I kicked off very small roller balls that traveled less than 30 feet in this area on open terrain >20 degrees. There was no entrainment of snow from any of the rollerballs.
Riding snow was about 6 inches deep (15 cm deep) on south side of first bowl (NE aspect). Snow was warming quickly. On the ridge, I scraped patches of snow from my skis before the descent.
On the ski out, we talked to two skiers who skied Anthracite Mesa south of Coneys and across from Snodgrass T.H. They said snow clumped up to a few inches on their skis during their descent. They were still scraping snow when we passed them on the skin out.