Snodgrass, Crested Butte Area

CBAC2014-15 Observations

GUIDE(S): Evan
DATE: 3/20/15
LOCATION: Snodgrass
ELEVATION: BTL. 10,300-9,300
ASPECT: N, SE. All slope angles under 35 degrees.
WEATHER: A couple light wind gusts. Otherwise clear sky, strong solar and warm temps.
SNOWPACK:
Surface crusts where about 10″ this morning over wet grains to the ground. These crusts where skiing well on SE aspects at this elevation around 11am. During the noon to 1pm range these crusts where breaking down on SE aspects and becoming unsupportive to boots or skis. During this timeframe we were seeing and hearing huge rumbling collapses on these aspects.
After 1pm we skied on a north aspect that was supportive to both ski and boots with good skiing. This aspect still produced very large rumbling collapses while traveling on it.

Mt. Axtell

CBAC2014-15 Observations

GUIDE(S): Donny

DATE: 15-03-18

LOCATION: Axtell / Green Lake
ELEVATION: 9100’ to 11,800′
ASPECT: Mostly north and northeast with a few pitches of southern aspect
WEATHER: 0945 @ 10,000’ – Low angle, north aspect – Overcast, flurries, light wind, 4ºC, SkiPen: 5cm
1100 @ 10,800’ – Ridge – Broken sky, calm, 4ºC, SkiPen: 5cm, BootPen: 20cm
1230 @ 11,600’ – Top of Couloir – Overcast, S-1, light wind, 4ºC, SkiPen: 5cm, BootPen: 5cm
1400 @ 11,800’ – Top of second couloir – Overcast, S-1, light wind, 3ºC, SkiPen: 15cm, BootPen: 30cm (to ground)
SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: Skied moist and wet snow all day.  Felt a few “whumpfs” in flat terrain as surface crust collapsed.  When sun would break through for a moment a greenhouse effect could be felt and rollerballs and pinwheels would be present immediately. This was never prolonged.  No other signs of instabilities.  I probed during the entire climb of a north facing couloir.  Average depth was less than a meter and it obviously slid quite a bit during the previous storm cycle.  The snow is dense and consistent throughout the snowpack.  Surface was “hot pow” and didn’t want to run down hill.  On the way home, south aspects were completely isothermal and the north facing glades were wet.

Mt. Emmons

CBAC2014-15 Observations

GUIDE(S): Donny

DATE: 15-03-17

ACTIVITY: BC Skiing

LOCATION: Red Lady Bowl and Evan’s Basin

ELEVATION: 9200’ to 12,400’

ASPECT: SE-S-SW

WEATHER: 11:30 @ 11,200’ – SE Aspect: Clear, 6ºC, light wind from south, T20: 0ºC, SkiPen: 5cm, BootPen: full leg;
12:30 @ 12,400’ – Summit: Clear, 8ºC, moderate wind from south, T20: -1ºC, Ski Pen: 10cm, Boot Pen: 10cm
14:30 @ 11,800’ – SSW Aspect: Mostly sunny, 11ºC, calm, T20: -2ºC, SkiPen: 5cm, BootPen: 10cm

SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: Evidence of recent wet slab activity on multiple faces, mostly SE aspects. Climbing up through and above RLG I found mostly wet snow with free water present on SE aspects. SW/W aspects clearly get hot in afternoon as they are all runneled. Skied far skier’s left of RLB and found 5 to 10 cm of wet snow over still cold (-2ºC). At 12:45 it was moist and dense, but not yet wet. Surface produced insignificant surface sliding and a handful of rollerballs and pinwheels.

Snodgrass

CBAC2014-15 Observations

NAME: Evan Ross
DATE: 3/15/15
LOCATION: Snodgrass
ELEVATION: BTL 
ASPECT: NE
WEATHER: Mostly clear, real warm and no wind.
SNOWPACK:
NE slopes were getting sloppy and at 1pm had about 4-6″ of wet snow on the surface. Skiing on slopes less then 35 degrees produced pinwheels and roller balls that mde me wonder if you would have skier triggered the wet loose problem on steeper slopes? Persistent slab structure could be felt on all slopes traveled but was unreactive  in the form of any obvious signs to instability.
Dug on test profile on a due north facing slope at 9,650 feet. HS 135. Overall structure was a 75cm 4f-1f slab sitting on F+ facets. CT14SC, ECTP23 SC on this interface, both fractures where sudden but somewhat rough and not planner as they broke through the 2mm facets.
AVALANCHE OBS: 
Heard 1 wet avalanche tumble off the east face of gothic around 1:30pm.

Snodgrass

CBAC2014-15 Observations

NAME: Evan Ross
DATE: 3/15/15
LOCATION: Snodgrass
ELEVATION: BTL 
ASPECT: NE
WEATHER: Mostly clear, real warm and no wind.
SNOWPACK:
NE slopes were getting sloppy and at 1pm had about 4-6″ of wet snow on the surface. Skiing on slopes less then 35 degrees produced pinwheels and roller balls that mde me wonder if you would have skier triggered the wet loose problem on steeper slopes? Persistent slab structure could be felt on all slopes traveled but was unreactive  in the form of any obvious signs to instability.
Dug on test profile on a due north facing slope at 9,650 feet. HS 135. Overall structure was a 75cm 4f-1f slab sitting on F+ facets. CT14SC, ECTP23 SC on this interface, both fractures where sudden but somewhat rough and not planner as they broke through the 2mm facets.
AVALANCHE OBS: 
Heard 1 wet avalanche tumble off the east face of gothic around 1:30pm.

Snodgrass

CBAC2014-15 Observations

NAME: Alex & Donny
DATE: 15-03-15
LOCATION: Snodgrass (Rental shop Glades)
ELEVATION: BTL
ASPECT: SE-E
WEATHER:  Few clouds but mostly clear throughout the day. Hot Temps, As billy would say, Africa Hot. Maybe a gust of wind at 5mph
SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS:  When you get a crack of noon start and are targeting solar aspects i think we all know what were going to find. Found pretty consistent HS around 120cm around 10,500′. Snow was moist all the way to the ground. Boot pen ranging from 25cm to 80cm.
Our group observed multiple large collapses on a 15* SE facing slope around 10,500′. We dug a pit on a SE shaded 30* slope at 10,500′ and found a 4f trending to 1f 35cm slab resting over 70cm of mature facets with P+ 2cm crust layer thrown in the mix. CTX, ECTP18 @60cm, Q1.

Ruby Range

CBAC2014-15 Observations

NAME: JSJ

DATE: 3/15/15

LOCATION: Ruby Mtn, Kebler Pass

ELEVATION: 10,200-12,800
ASPECT: E/SE/S
WEATHER: Mostly clear, warm, light breeze at ridge top, noticeable temperature difference above 11,500′ this am.
SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: As of 1100 am, on steep South Facing terrain (~40*ish), above 12,500′, we found a slight layer of corn over a weak 3cm thick MF crust over 15cms of dry snow (wind loaded layer post storm ?) on a K hard 1cm ice layer (green housing layer immediately post storm?). Below 11,500′ MF crust became soft and mushy and ski pen was 15cms or more. No instabilities seen, though snowpack structure we found, was very much in transition still, and should not be taken for a true Spring Melt Freeze cycle yet.

Mt Emmons

CBAC2014-15 Observations

NAME: ScottDATE: 3/15/15LOCATION: EmmonsELEVATION: 9,000-12,000ASPECT: SEWEATHER: Clear and warm with light windsSNOWPACK:  Strong crust in the morning on south aspects.  Light winds helped keep the surface cool, although direct sun hastened the melting process.  By 11:30 there was 4cm of corn snow above a supportive crust on S-SE aspects.  No signs of rollerballs, pinwheels, or wet loose slides prior to 1230.

Mt. Emmons

CBAC2014-15 Observations

NAME: Evan Ross
DATE: 3/11/15
LOCATION: Mt. Emmons
ELEVATION: 12,000-9,000
ASPECT: N
WEATHER: Thin overcast Clouds created a very warm greenhouse effect below ridgeline where there was no wind. At ridgeling winds where SW light with moderate gusts during the first half of the day.
SNOWPACK:
On north facing upper elevations (ATL/NTL) boot pen averaged about 20cm. HS was around 150cm-195cm on average. Feeling with a probe through the terrain, the PS structure was about 80cm thick with a relatively thin layer of weaker snow below. At these elevations the snow surface stayed dry despite the warm conditions. At lower elevations (BTL) snow surfaces where moist. No obvious or resent sings to instability noticed at all elevations.
ATL snow surfaces on South where still frozen at noon.