Date of Observation: 04/11/2023
Name: Zach Guy
Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Morning tour into Peeler Basin, traveling mostly on northerly aspects to 12,000’
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: A few wet slabs on S to SE aspects NTL that ran yesterday, D1.5 to D3. Several large gouging wet loose BTL on SE and E. Plenty of shallow wet loose at all elevations (D1 to D1.5), spanning around to NE aspects at higher elevations and N BTL. More photos later tonight.
Weather: Clear, light winds. Waaaarm.
Snowpack: Marginal refreeze: punchy boot pen and supportive ski pen at 9 am. Felt like the window for good corn on SE was about 9:30 NTL. Still dry powder on high due north; Northeast ATL started rollerballing this morning. Bigger pinwheels as we descended to north BTL, and we triggered a few shallow wet loose involving just the white snow above the dust layer. North quadrant appears to be ways off from water draining into the snowpack for wet slab issues.
Photos:
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Peeler D3 wet slab
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Peeler D3 wet slab
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Small wet slab Peeler
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Small wet slab Peeler
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Large wet loose on Schuylkill Ridge
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Large wet loose near OBJ/Peeler Confluence
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Large wet slab Robinson Basin
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Rollerballs on north BTL
Estimated avalanche date: 04/10/2023
Number of Avalanches: 1
Location
Location: Peeler Basin
Location Specific:
Start Zone Elevation: NTL: Near Tree Line
Aspect: SE
Characteristics
Trigger: Natural
Trigger modifier:
Type: Wet Slab
Failure Plane: Old snow
Size
Relative Size: R3 medium
Destructive Size: D3 – could destroy a car, wood-frame house, or snap trees
Avg. crown height (inches):
Avg. width (feet):
Avg. vertical run (feet):
Involvements
# of people caught:
# of partial burials:
# of full burials:
Additional comments: Peeler Peak (Steep face SE side)
Estimated avalanche date: 04/10/2023
Number of Avalanches: 1
Location
Location: Lake Irwin (Robinson Basin, Owen, Ruby)
Location Specific:
Start Zone Elevation: NTL: Near Tree Line
Aspect: SE
Characteristics
Trigger: Natural
Trigger modifier:
Type: Wet Slab
Failure Plane: Old snow
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: Robinson Basin. Tom Kelley says it ran at 3 pm yesterday.
Estimated avalanche date: 04/10/2023
Number of Avalanches: 2
Location
Location: Peeler Basin
Location Specific:
Start Zone Elevation: NTL: Near Tree Line
Aspect: S
Characteristics
Trigger: Natural
Trigger modifier:
Type: Wet Slab
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: Peeler Peak
Estimated avalanche date: 04/10/2023
Number of Avalanches: 1
Location
Location: Schuylkill Ridge
Location Specific:
Start Zone Elevation: BTL: Below Tree Line
Aspect: SE
Characteristics
Trigger: Natural
Trigger modifier:
Type: Wet Loose
Failure Plane: Old snow
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:
Estimated avalanche date: 04/10/2023
Number of Avalanches: 2
Location
Location: Peeler Basin
Location Specific:
Start Zone Elevation: BTL: Below Tree Line
Aspect: E
Characteristics
Trigger: Natural
Trigger modifier:
Type: Wet Loose
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: Confluence of Peeler and OBJ
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