Date of Observation: 03/21/2023
Name: Evan Ross
Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Indy and Elk Basins. 9,000-12,000ft.
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: Many small storm slab avalanches at BTL and NTL elevations. Poor visibility ATL. Those avalanches failed last night or during the early AM hours. 40+ avalanches. All failing in 40+ degree terrain. There were fewer avalanches on due south-facing slopes and I didn’t see much for north-facing terrain. I didn’t notice any avalanche activity near the Kebler Road or on the lower northerly facing slopes of Mt Axtell.
Weather: Overcast. S-1. Calm wind.
Snowpack: HST averaged in the 25 to 35cm range. The storm slabs were failing just above the 3/20 crust in low-density storm snow and stellars. Hand pits still produced clean shears on the interface, but I otherwise didn’t observe any signs of instability on small test slopes. There was wind-affected snow at upper elevations, but I didn’t encounter any notable thick wind drifts and of course, also didn’t enter the most suspect terrain. On E-SE and W aspects The 3/20 crust was 2cm thick on average. There wasn’t enough load to start collapsing that crust into the weaker snow below. The crust on due south is thicker and stronger.
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