Avalanches: Significant sloughing of surface snow upon ski cuts in sparsely vegetated and steep gullies. Initial slough affected the surface layer, but ran to ground quickly and carried facet layer with it. Debris carried approximately 300 feet.

Weather: Clear skies, ~25-30ºF, none/light wind

Snowpack: Snowpack differed greatly between vegetated areas and open gullies.

In gullies, approximately 6″ inches of fresh powder above ~5″ of facets to the ground. Very little consolidation between layers, but did observe some cracking in surface layer on boot penetration.

Within trees, approximately 6″ of fresh powder above breakable crust (ski pen. 6″, boot pen. 2′). Knee-deep post-holing through crust while hiking back to road after deciding not to ski.

Uploads:

Avalanches: New snow is not bonding to the rotten snow from Thanksgiving. Fresh snow running readily on steep slopes, picking up momentum and gouging into the facetted base. First turns into half bowl produced a soft slide with a 10-12 inch mini-crown that ran for 100+ feet. Bailed and skied the lower angle trees near the skin track. Natural slide through the Pencil and lots of other releases observed in 1st and 2nd bowls.

Weather: Intermittent light snow. 10-15 degrees.

Snowpack: 8-10 inches of new snow over the past couple of days. 2-3 inches of fresh on the skin track. Light and unconsolidated snow on top of facets.

Uploads:

Avalanches: None observed, but some predictable pockets of power were popping out in steeper trees where there were rollovers. This big round of new snow seems quite tender. It was unconsolidated, so a little surface sloughing, but when the new layer slabs up, it could be interesting.

Don’t drive your sled into a creek.

Weather: Snowing (s1) with no to very light winds from the north.

Snowpack: 18 – 24″ of unconsolidated pow on top of a supportive crust or on top of more hollow snow.

Avalanches: We received a report of a skier triggered avalanche on Schuykill Ridge above the Slate River today. The skier was caught, carried, and injured. The victim was evacuated by helicopter to Gunnison, and is reportedly in stable condition. Our sincere condolences go out to the victim, family, and friends. The slide was reportedly triggered near the ridgeline on Schuykill Ridge, as the skier was dropping into a North or Northeast facing bowl near treeline. It broke an estimated 25-30′ wide, and several feet deep. The skier was carried approximately 150 to 200 feet before getting stopped by a tree, and the debris ran roughly 500 feet. A forecaster from the CBAC will be investigating the avalanche tomorrow, and we will post information as it becomes available.

Weather: Approximately 1in of low density snow fell overnight in the tour area. Light snow in the morning clearing around 9:30. Clouds returned with light snow around 1230. Winds were light from the northwest on ridgetops.

Snowpack: Little evidence of overnight wind transport. Yesterday’s tracks were not completely obscured, and little evidence of deposition from west winds was noted along the ridge. Snow immediately below ridge was still soft. Released one small shallow slab on a crossloaded feature although it failed to propagate more than 10ft. No other signs of instability were noted. Closer to the valley bottom the effect of temperature was evident as the surface snow became much more dense and cohesive.

Name: Chad Reich
Title: Skiing
Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 12/17/2014
Aspect: South East
Elevation: 12,400

Avalanches: Observed 2 slides that had already happened on Axtel’s north face below the Wang Chung face, but we couldn’t tell if they were natural or skier-triggered. They were each R1’s, but they would probably have been big enough to injure or kill a skier.

Weather: Lightly snowing (>s1), with strong and sustained winds on the upwards of 20 mph coming from the N. Despite the winds, no cross/lee loading was observed, but it was snowing….Temps were about 20 at the TH and 10 at the summit.

Snowpack: About 4-6″ of new, unconsolidated pow on top of a firm, supportable crust. No high speed sloughing observed on the way down.