AVALANCHES: More evidence of the recent wet cycle around the Gothic/Copper Creek area. Wet loose and wet slabs, mostly off of E and SE aspects near and below treeline., D1 to D2 in size. Also a few D1 wet loose off of north aspects below treeline in steep rocky areas and D1.5 wet slides off of west aspects near treeline. Surprisingly, we noticed 2 natural D2 wet slabs on northwest aspects above treeline, with starting zones at 12,500 feet. Unknown failure dates on all of this activity, but likely last Tuesday or Wednesday.

WEATHER: Clear skies, warm temps, light winds.

SNOWPACK: Obs from Whiterock area and Snodgrass Area:
Solid refreeze overnight at all elevations (12 inches deep or so) was supportive to boot and skis until 1:00 pm. on SE to SW aspects. After 1:00, started seeing some isolated areas of unsupportive snow below treeline, which likely trended to fully unsupportive but we got off of those slopes. Last night when approaching Gothic, we got a very large collapse on flat terrain after the surface had slightly refrozen.
On north aspects below treeline, the tree shaded slopes held mostly dry snow with a few inches of refrozen wet grains at the surface. More open slopes had wet snow deeper into the snowpack. On northeast aspects below treeline, the snowpack was wet to the ground, mostly supportive on skis but not to boot pen in the afternoon.

UPLOADS:

AVALANCHES:

WEATHER: 10:00 @ 10,700’ – West aspect, 25º slope – Clear, light wind from north, -1ºC – Ski and Boot Pen both 0cm
11:30 @ 11,700’ – West aspect, 35º slope – Clear, moderate wind from east, 2ºC – BootPen between 0 and 5cm – T20: -1ºC
13:30 @ 12,600’ – west aspect, 38º slope – Clear, moderate wind from south, 2ºC – HS: 75cm, T20: -1ºC

SNOWPACK: No signs of instabilities during the day. Surface was frozen and locked up, plenty supportable while skinning and climbing in crampons. HS above 11,500’ was less than a meter in many places. Upper 30cm on snowpack were a combination of multiple melt/freeze crusts. Large facets present under these crusts. Above 11,500’ there was new snow, up to 5cm near the summit. The surface supported weight, but if you worked hard you could break through and plunge to the ground.

UPLOADS:

AVALANCHES: several wet loose and wet slab avalanches reported sliding over CO Rd 742 to Taylor Park. Some of these slides slid past the centerline and required cars to slow and drive around in opposite lane. Rain and warm temps were falling when the slides reportedly slid between 11-2pm on 3/18.  Broken trees seen in debris.

WEATHER:

SNOWPACK:

UPLOADS:

AVALANCHES: About 5 new wet avalanches ran yesterday or the day before on Gibson Ridge’s ENE face near town, below treeline. Some were slabs, some were wet loose, and all gouged to the ground, ranging from D1.5 to D2. WS/WL-N-R2-D1.5/2-G
Several very small wet loose and blocks of slab ran today above banks of Coal Creek, NE aspects BTL. Harmless in size and no more than 8 feet of propagation.

WEATHER: Clouds increased from few to broken through the day, with a short period of graupel in the afternoon. Temps rose to 39 degrees at 10k.

SNOWPACK: 2″ of new snow insulated wet snowpack from much of a refreeze last night. On Southeast, South, and West aspects at Irwin from 10k to 12k elevation: Boot penetration was waist deep and/or to the ground from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, with wet grains through the entire snowpack. Ski pen deteriorated through the day, changing from fully supportive to punchy knee deep or deeper by the afternoon.
Stability tests producing sudden collapse failures on facet layers above and below the February 20th crust, about 40 to 50 cm deep, on both SE and W aspects near treeline. Water pooling at this crust, which was very wet.

UPLOADS:

SNOWPACK: Skier triggered wet slab in Climax Chute yesterday. Middle to lower elevation of the chute.

Skier triggered wetslab in Climax Chutes near Slate River

AVALANCHES: Several large wet loose avalanches gouging down to ground below E-facing cliff bands. Entrained quite a bit of snow, pushing size 2 range. not quite wet slab, but did propagate horizontally a bit more than the classic triangular shaped wet loose activity.

WEATHER: overcast, scattered rain and snow showers. warm temps, light west winds

SNOWPACK: Quite warm, unconsolidated snow, punchy. melt water continues to advance, but quite variable, from full depth in shallower areas to 6-10″ in others.

UPLOADS: