Name: Evan Ross
DATE: 2014-12-31
Location: Scarps Ridge
Elevation 10,000-12,200
Aspect: S-SW

Weather: Clear dog clear! Calm wind at ridgeline becoming light to moderate from the southeast in the afternoon. Some blowing snow at ridelines. The next storm was approaching from the southwest in the afternoon.

Snowpack: Prime time ski time! Great skiing conditions on south facing slopes. NTL and ATL slopes had a dense wind pressed slab from the Solstice storm with fresh low density snow on top from earlier this weak. Didn’t find any signs to instability but managed terrain features and stayed on slopes 35 degrees or less. Surface hoar was widespread in the morning. Vary small, 1-2mm.

Avalanches: Numerous avalanches observed that failed during the Solstice Cycle. Wide propagating slabs on west aspects and smaller pockets on southeast aspects. All startzones likely 35 degrees or steeper.

Guide(s): Donny (Irwin Guides)
Date: 2014-12-31
Location: Red Lady Glades to Evan’s Basin
Elevation: 9200′ to 12,400′
Aspect: Mostly south

Weather: clear, calm and cold at the trailhead in the morning.  Significant warming during the day.  It was downright pleasant to 11,800′.  Moderate winds from SE on top of Mt. Emmons.  Some blowing snow and loading into Redwell Basin.

Snowpack/Avalanche Obs: Ski pen of 5cm while skinning.  Boot pen varied.  At times it would go to the Dec. 13 interface, other times it would go to the basal facets.  Snow surface was a mix of surface facets and surface hoar.  No signs of instabilities or recent avalanches.  I dug two, quick holes.  The Dec. 13th interface is still there, and the snow above it gains strength the deeper it gets.  Why is it not reactive?  I wonder if the snow since Dec. 13th isn’t starting to facet, maybe some crusts as well, and therefore the change in hardness is less dramatic?  Obviously, I didn’t have time to study in more detail. Thoughts?

Name: Zach Guy
Title: Large natural slab into Peeler Basin
Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 12/31/2014
Aspect: North East
Elevation: 12,000 ft.

Avalanches: Recent natural avalanche (probably failed in the last 3 or 4 days) off of Scarp Ridge, NE aspect ATL. Looked to be about 2 feet deep, 150-200 feet wide, ran full track into the bottom of the basin (~800 vertical feet), releasing a secondary slab as it came over the first cliff band. Unknown failure layer. SS-N-R2-D2-U.

Name: Evan Ross
Location: Conies, Washington Gulch
Date of Observation: 12/30/2014
Aspect: North East, East
Elevation: 9,900-10,900

Weather: Overcast, a few vary light snow flurries, cold, calm wind.

Snowpack: At the top of the bowl in the middle/open area, found a 10-12″ wind slab on top of lower density storm snow that didn’t produce any results while skiing. Most upper sections of the bowl had a nice supportive persistent slab with boot top ski pen. Lower areas of the bowl the slab with both thiner and softer. In this lower half we got numerous collapses and shooting cracks. One collapse while skinning up the skiers left side of the bowl remote triggered a D2 persistent slab from 600ft away. In this area the persistent slab was reactive on the 12/13 interface and below this interface was generally one layer of weak facets to the ground. HS for the lower and weaker sections of the bowl was 70-90cm, while up higher in the bowl the HS was 100-120cm.

Avalanches: While skinning, remote triggered a D2 persistent slab from 600ft away. SS-ASu-R1-D2-O. Likely failed on the 12/13 weak faceted interface and gouged through more weak facets to the ground. Crown was 2-3ft tall, 160ft wide and debris ran about 700ft in length. Start zone slope angle estimated between 36-38 degrees.

Uploads:

IMG_0147

SS-ASu-R1-D2-O. Likely failed on the 12/13 weak faceted interface and gouged through more weak facets to the ground.

IMG_0146

Crown was 2-3ft tall, 160ft wide and debris ran about 700ft in length.

IMG_0136

Date: 12/30/14
Location: Red lady glades/evans basin
Elevation: 9,200-11,600
Aspect: S-W

Weather: Overcast/broken S1 at best. Little to no wind. No snow transport.