Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 12/26/2017
Name: Sam Higby

Subject: Remote trigger cornice
Aspect: North East
Elevation: 10,900

Avalanches:

Base surface was 40cm, most of the blocks and the crown were 100cm thick. Propagated around 150ft across ridge, went down into the trees and stopped. Photos below, feel free to ask me more questions.

Weather: Sunny, cool, breezy
Snowpack: In sheltered areas right at 100cm. Old snow from November was 40cm and faceting. Were on the ridge before Coneys and saw the cornice. I stopped to get my cord out to cut it and it dropped before I could do anything.

Photos:

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 12/26/2017
Name: Eric Murrow

Subject: Anthracite avi activity after storm
Aspect: North, North East, East
Elevation: 10,000 – 11,500

Avalanches:

Numerous slides- multiple releases at top of east bowl(photo), several small rollovers half way up skinner(photo), numerous at head of Playground Basin(photos), and one remote skier triggered in Big Chute(photo)

Weather: Generally clear skies with few clouds about. Winds were light with no visible transport.
Snowpack: After the past weeks snow, sheltered terrain around the Anthracites, have settled new snow depths of 22cm to 35cm. Recent snow was still Fist hardness but certainly has begun to settle and become a bit more cohesive. In areas that saw wind deposits were definitely slab like with 4finger hardness.
Ski conditions were noticeably more supportive today. While skiing tree chute and sliver, cracks and collapsing were common. Even in well sheltered pitches. These instabilities were relegated to new/old interface, about 30cm down. We also experienced a large collapse at top of big chute. This collapse occurred below the most recent snow(this location has seen several loading events from wind prior to last weeks snow). The collapse propagated 100ish feet, basically the entire start zone of big chute. This collapse didn’t avalanche, but it did release a wind slab on furthest skiers left edge.

Photos:

Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 12/26/2017
Name: JT

Subject: Lot’s of whumps and cracking
Aspect: East
Elevation: 10,500

Avalanches:

None observed.

Weather: Windy and mostly sunny.
Snowpack: Hasty pit revealed a roughly 2-3 foot snow depth. Very slight wind crust on top. The top 3/4’s was fairly consistent and formed a really loosely bonded slab. The bottom 1/4 was straight sugar. It skied nice and was supportive to boot level. On steeper shots we noticed a lot of cracking, some cracks propagated over 10 ‘ to an adjacent slope. There really was not enough energy to make an avalanche, but I think that will change as the top portion forms into a more cohesive slab.

Photos:

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 12/26/2017
Name: Alex Tiberio

Subject: Natural activity around Gothic
Aspect: North East, East
Elevation:

Avalanches:

With clear skies we were able to check out some slopes with binoculars. Crowns are visible on the E face of Gothic, at the top of an east facing gully below the largest cliff on gothic, as well as the top of 3rd bowl on Snodgrass. The latter of which looks like it released pretty deep in the snowpack, you can see dirt below the crown.

Weather: Mostly Clear skies
Snowpack:

Photos:

Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 12/25/2017
Name: AH

Subject: Widespread collapsing and cracking at Pittsburgh
Aspect: North, North East
Elevation: 10,000

Avalanches:

Our group of 3 headed to Pittsburgh in search of low-angle and manageable terrain for a little Christmas day outing. Where the typical skinner heads into the trees, we got a large collapse on a small roller. Cracks everywhere with a little movement up top, but otherwise the snow held – it’s a small slope, convex roll, and short feature. The cracks propagated across the entire feature, at least 100ft. We poked around looking for a route higher, but we found the same thing higher on the slope. Every slope we approached that was at or near 30 degrees collapsed and cracked, or had already collapsed and cracked before we approached. Being buried from above or being smashed into a tree wasn’t on any of or wish lists, so we headed home to celebrate Christmas dinner with our friends.

Weather: Snowing all day, shifting between graupel and big flakes.
Snowpack: A foot or more of new snow landing on top of facets.

Photos:

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 12/24/2017
Name: Jake Kay

Subject: Anthracites
Aspect: North
Elevation: 11,495

Avalanches:
Weather:
Snowpack: Dug pit on top of anthracite ridge. Found 70-80cm total snowpack. from ground up, found 15cm of depth hoar, than 20cm of finger hard slab that went at ect 24 q3. Followed by 10 cm of faceted snow with a small crust and finally 25cm of new snow which which had barely formed into a fist hard soft slab that went on ect4 q3

Photos:

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 12/25/2017
Name: ZDK

Subject: East Ditch Trail
Aspect: North East
Elevation: 8900

Avalanches:

Small windslabs breaking on NE aspects, 35deg near town. 1 appeared to fail mid-storm, the other on facets near the ground.

Weather: S 1, Light-Moderate WSW winds, blowing snow.
Snowpack: Average HST 25 cm in sheltered areas.

Photos:

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 12/25/2017
Name: billy bar

Subject: Gothic 7am Report
Aspect:
Elevation:

Avalanches:
Weather: Steady snow overnight with little wind with 10″ new anow and water 0.57″. Snowpack up to 23″, winters deepest. Currently light snow as wind has started up in the past half hour. Wind could cause problems if it continues- currently light but gusting.
Snowpack:

Photos: