Snowpack Summary

CBAC February 2, 20152014-15 Observations

Snowpack Summary, February 2015. -ZG

Crested Butte Area

CBAC February 2, 20152014-15 Observations

Name: Dave
DATE: 2/1/15
ACTIVITY: Avy 1

LOCATION: Red Coon Glades
ASPECT: S/SE
Elevation: 11,600

WEATHER: Mostly clear with steady winds from the north/nw 20mph w gusts 30+

SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: Toured up to the glades with level 1 Avy class. We had a supportive ice/sun crust with 6+cm of new snow which soften things up. Snow was wind effected near tree line. Our group observed a sluff avalanche and what looked to be a small crown avalanche on red lady. There were 2 tracks to the skier right of these slides that were put in early morning prior to the slides. Not sure if the slides were natural or skier triggered. Continues wind loading throughout the day from tree line up. Did not see any signs of instability throughout our tour. The wind layer was starting to slab up in certain areas on the ski down. Skiing was in variable conditions but still good, new snow freshened things up a little.

Snodgrass TH

CBAC February 1, 20152014-15 Observations, Avi Blog

NAME: Evan Ross
DATE: 1/31/15
LOCATION: Snodgrass TH

ASPECT: NE
ELEVATION: 9,650

WEATHER: Mostly cloudy sky in the afternoon. Snowing S-1 with warm temps that made it feel like it was almost raining at times. Calm winds started to increase from the west after 4pm.

SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: Snowpack was upside down with the new snow being cohesive, heavy and moist sitting on weak facets below. A pit at the above aspect and elevation. HS 86cm, all fist hard. HST was 10cm deep and cohesive. Jan 11th Surface Hoar was down 25cm. Shovel tilt and CT test produced moderate results on the Jan 11th interface. ECTX as the snow structure was soft and weak.

8am Observation From Gothic

CBAC January 31, 20152014-15 Observations

A dense, wet snow but not much of it with 4″ new but a decent 0.32″ water. Snowpack up to 33½”- winter’s deepest is 35″ and average for this date 48½”). Currently obscured with light snow, still wet and dense as the overnight temp. was 27ºF, period. No movement at all. billy barr

External Human Factors in the Backcountry

CBAC January 30, 2015Avi Blog

By Ian Havlick, Crested Butte Avalanche Center

You are standing on top of that virgin line, with that cold, crisp air blowing across your face, the squeak of the snow underfoot, the sun casting long, buttery shadows across your prospective line. The avalanche danger is rated considerable. You have that little high definition camcorder stuck to your helmet, and your two other buddies are peering over the steep line you all have worked all day to get up. Sound familiar?

Humans are inherently curious, emotional, and social creatures. We can study the snow with a microscope, wax poetic about theories on growth of snow crystals, fracture mechanics, blah blah blah. Snow and avalanches in a physical sense is solvable through cold labs, electron microscopes, slow motion cameras, and when all else fails…smart Swiss scientists. But, the human side of things…the emotion, lack of rationale, rushed decisions, and group heuristics is anything but clean cut. Ian McCammon P.hD., a very telented scientist and avalanche practioner, boiled down the bare bones of subconscious human decision making in the backcountry to six categories; Familiarity, Authority, Social proof, Commitment/consistency, Liking/conformity, and scarcity. This research was conducted in the late 1990s and early 2000s, not long ago in most people’s memories, but in the technological world, a decade is an eternity. Just thinking in Apple terms, the iPod was released in 2001. The iPhone released in 2007. These devices and many others we introduced a few years after these heuristic papers were presented and since then have skyrocketed in popularity, both in the front country, and the backcountry.

Now enter the GoPro. The seemingly generic name for all things photo, audio, and video capturing. You got the GoPro, the Contour, the Action Cam, the Air Pro, Parrot, the Hero, the JVC Flash Memory Recorder, the Phantom 2, the VIRB, the PivotHead, on and on they go. How do these little widgets effect our decision making in the backcountry?

Graphic from a recent SIA study, presented at ISSW 2014 in Banff, AB.

This influx of technology has undoubtedly changed the way we operate in avalanche terrain. Social media outlets such as Instagram is just kerosene on the already raging bonfire, especially among the 16-35 year old age bracket, statistically the age range which comprises a vast majority of avalanche fatalities across the globe. 65% of fatalities from 1951 to 2013 to be exact. Avalanche terrain + abundant powder + youth + bragging + proof of taking chances for said bragging = more close calls and ultimately, fatalities. Very little concrete GoPro-specific research has been done to date, but, if point of view (POV) videos of avalanche involvements are any gauge, the statistics may be staggering. Worth keeping in mind next time your standing on top of the primo slope asking your buddy if that little red light is blinking…

8am Observation from Billy Barr in Gothic

CBAC January 30, 20152014-15 Observations

Still really nothing to report with just a shallow 1″ of new snow overnight and 0.06″ water in it, barely covering the crust. Snowpack is at 30½”. It has been between 28-35″ since Dec. 25. Currently overcast with off and on very light snow. –There were 7 record high temperature days in January and so far 13 this winter (starting Nov. 01). No record lows. billy

Snodgrass

CBAC January 26, 20152014-15 Observations

Name: Evan, Will
DATE: 1/25/15
LOCATION: Snodgrass (Crested Butte Area)

ASPECT: NE
Elevation: 11,000-9,500 BTL

WEATHER: Calm wind, few clouds and cool temps on north side of Snodgrass.

SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: All around weakness. Persistent Slab structure was mostly or completely faceted out. sloughing was the primary problem on terrain over 35 degrees. Sloughs were easily initiating and would continue gaining mass until they reached lower angled terrain. The largest ones where D 1.5’s. Lots of wind scouring or wind ripped terrain in the East River Valley from recent strong down valley winds.

Coneys

CBAC January 26, 20152014-15 Observations

NAME: Dave & Krista
DATE: 1/25/15
LOCATION: Crested Butte Area

ELEVATION: 9900
ASPECT: NE
WEATHER: WINDS FROM THE NORTH 10+ in the valleys and lower ridges. Clear, warm

SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: Sadly the snowpack continues to break down. Snow still supporting the weight of a skier but skiing facets seems to be the current trend. No signs of instability today but could still see old slides and old tracks.

Washington Gulch TH

CBAC January 25, 20152014-15 Observations

NAME: Avalanche Level 1 Course
DATE: 1/14/15
LOCATION: Washington Gulch

ASPECT: NE
ElLEVATION: 9,600ft. BTL.

WEATHER: Light down valley winds with a couple stronger gusts in the afternoon. Overcast sky.

SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: Short tour near the trailhead and near Long Lake. HS 60-80cm and generally weak on NE aspects. Persistent Slab structure was mostly faceted out with only a little midpack slab left in places. Maybe 1 out of 10 pits produced a result in CT tests. Could still find buried SH down 10cm on most NE slopes. Boot pen to the ground.

Wolverine Basin and Anthracite Mesa

CBAC January 19, 20152014-15 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date: 1/19/2015

Wolverine Basin: No signs of instability ECTX on crown line profile from early January human triggered slide at 10,500ft, NE aspect. ECTX on N facing slope at 33º @ 9700 Sluffs on NE aspects near 10,200ft. Widespread buried SH.

Anthracite Mesa: One large collapse on flat meadow at 9500′, producing cracks over 50′ away. Another moderate collapse with 25′ of cracking on “Coney’s” ridgeline, NW facing slope near 11k. Shallow (2-10″) 1F-P windslab produced cracking and stubborn movement.
Pits on SE, SW, N, NE with average HS between 40-120cm. No significant results in BTL pits on SW, SE, N. Intense Solar. Widespread Buried SH 10-20 deep in all areas. ENE facing pit, HS 120cm, 4F-1F hardness slab, F-Hard weak layer 2-3mm FC, 26º slope at 11k.
ECTP19 SC @ 55cm. PSTend 42/100 @ 20141213.

Avalanches: Fresh dry loose avalanches in Climax Chutes (farthest lookers right, and other smaller paths). One Wet loose, south aspect, D1 long running

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