Date of Observation: 01/06/2023
Name: Zach Kinler
Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Silver Queen Express lift
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: Documenting a few more large avalanches from the recent cycle.
Weather:
Snowpack:
Date of Observation: 01/05/2023
Name: Zach Guy
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Viewed from Mt. CB looking east towards Pearl Pass, Doubletop, etc, looking at the western half of the compass.
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: Lots of action above treeline that looks fresh, likely from the 1/3-1/4 cycle, generally on cross-drifted features from the NW winds, D2 in size. Also a lot of activity at all elevations that looks a bit older, likely from the 12/31-1/1 cycle. Only documenting the larger slides (D2), plenty of smaller ones too.
Date of Observation: 01/05/2023
Name: Eric Murrow
Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Pavement observations
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: A few more avalanches that failed during the 1/3 – 1/4 avalanche cycle. Avalanches came from drifted north through east through southeast slopes.
Weather: Some drifting above treeline was visible from westerly winds.
Date of Observation: 01/05/2023
Name: Eric Murrow
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Pavement obs
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: Recent natural avalanches on southwest gully on Red Ridge, northeast-facing slope on Emmons above Gunsight Road, and upper snowpack avalanche in Raccoon Bowl on Emmons. See photos
Weather: While glassing for avalanches, I did see periods of moderate snow transport above treeline.
Snowpack:
Date of Observation: 01/05/2023
Name: Cheese _
Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Poverty Gulch
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: The sidehill on Poverty went pretty big.
Date of Observation: 01/04/2023
Name: Dave Kozlowski
Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Robinson Basin
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: See photos of a very wide propagating persistent slab avalanche in Robinson Basin, likely ran the night of 1/3 to 1/4.
Date of Observation: 01/05/2023
Name: Kevin Krill
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Below Climax Chutes
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: I drove over the pile on Mike’s and then around the toe of the debris. Guessing 15-20′ deep for 200 yards. Could be one of the biggest debris piles I’ve driven over in my tenure. The three main paths and all of the smaller ones on lookers right cleaned out. The two on the lookers left did not go.
Date of Observation: 01/05/2023
Name: Evan Kezsbom
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Whetstone and Emmons
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: See photos of recent persistent slab avalanches on Emmons and Whetstone. Photo credit: @evankezsbomphotography
Date of Observation: 01/04/2023
Name: Irwin Guides
Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Terrain near Irwin Cat Ski.
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: Bender failed on 10 cm’s of small grain facets on the ground. The crown was 4′ at
it’s apex. SS-N-R3-D2.5-O/G Large Natural that most likely ran last night avg. 1m crown started below thin line and connected over to SS L. 11,600K S-SSE aspect 90 cm X 150m X 80m
Numerous naturals size 1-2 UUWW,
Large Natural D2.5 above Robinson Basin ESE aspect approx. 150 m wide, 11,300K, along with another D2.5 below
Pete Rose S aspect 11,700K
Bender SS-AE-R3-D2.5-O FC (90cm x 70m x 150m)
Weather: OVC, 10 @ SP and single digits up top. W 20>10 G 30’s, trace of new.
Snowpack: Stiff stubborn wind slabs up high on W. Unreactive SS across all lower elevations on
the West Wall. Ski quality is still good although ski pen in down to 30 cm’s from yesterdays white room
conditions. E – SE was heavily loaded HS 130-150 cm’s. 4″ of settlement today.
Date of Observation: 01/04/2023
Name: Eric Murrow
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Standard skin track up Mount Emmons to Red Lady Bowl and descent down Glades.
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: A very large avalanche in Red Lady Bowl that broke full-width wrapping from the skin track ridgeline all the way across bowl to saddle with Red Racoon. Crown up to 8 feet thick. With just a skiff of new snow on the bed surface. The debris was hard to see in the poor vis, but I estimate it only ran half of the potential track.
Weather: Mostly cloudy skies with light snow, generally light wind with moderate gusts occasionally transporting snow.
Snowpack: I dug a profile on a near treeline slope with a depth of 150cm that produced an ECTP 30 and PST end 45/100 on basal facets. I found Surface Hoar at this location sitting above the 12/20 crust that produced PST end 30/100. While exiting the profile site, our group collapsed the slope. Slabs near the treeline were around a meter thick with 40cm being 1finger hard.
