Natural wet loose avalanches

CB Avalanche Center March 17, 20152014-15 Observations

LOCATION: Kebler Pass Area
DATE OF OBSERVATION: 03/16/2015
NAME: Zach Guy

SUBJECT: Natural wet loose avalanches
ASPECT: Various
ELEVATION: up to 12,000 ft.

AVALANCHES: New loose wet avalanches (D1 in size, last 48 hours) on NE and E aspects near and above treeline in Peeler Basin and Anthracite Range, and a northwest aspect below treeline near Cement Creek (D1.5). See Ian’s ob of new wetslab in Peeler.

WEATHER: Temps reached into 50’s at 10k. Light wind to moderate winds. Few clouds

SNOWPACK: Free water is on the move. Refreeze was about 6″ overnight at 11k. Boot pen to the ground through wet grains in a number of slopes facing SE to W near/above treeline.

UPLOADS:

Natural wet slab near Mt. Emmons

CBAC March 17, 20152014-15 Observations

WS-N-R2-D2-O on a west aspect near treeline in Peeler Basin that probably slid between 1400-1700 yesterday.

Snodgrass

CBAC March 16, 20152014-15 Observations

NAME: Evan Ross

DATE: 3/15/15

LOCATION: Snodgrass

ELEVATION: BTL

ASPECT: NE

WEATHER: Mostly clear, real warm and no wind.

SNOWPACK:

NE slopes were getting sloppy and at 1pm had about 4-6″ of wet snow on the surface. Skiing on slopes less then 35 degrees produced pinwheels and roller balls that mde me wonder if you would have skier triggered the wet loose problem on steeper slopes? Persistent slab structure could be felt on all slopes traveled but was unreactive in the form of any obvious signs to instability.

Dug on test profile on a due north facing slope at 9,650 feet. HS 135. Overall structure was a 75cm 4f-1f slab sitting on F+ facets. CT14SC, ECTP23 SC on this interface, both fractures where sudden but somewhat rough and not planner as they broke through the 2mm facets.

AVALANCHE OBS:

Heard 1 wet avalanche tumble off the east face of gothic around 1:30pm.

Marcellina

CB Avalanche Center March 16, 20152014-15 Observations

LOCATION: Kebler Pass Area
DATE OF OBSERVATION: 03/14/2015
NAME: Zach Guy

SUBJECT: Marcellina
ASPECT: East, South East, South
ELEVATION: Near/Below treeline

AVALANCHES: Skier triggered 2 very small wet slabs, about 8-10″ deep, 30′ wide on E to ENE aspects below treeline. They broke on wet depth hoar. There were several glide avalanches that ran sometime since the last storm, failing at the ground on rock slabs.

WEATHER: Warm, clear, light wind.

SNOWPACK: Shallow snowpack. Got 4 or 5 wet slab style collapses on E and SE aspects below treeline, and one on a S aspect near treeline.

UPLOADS:

Ruby Peak

CB Avalanche Center March 16, 20152014-15 Observations

LOCATION: Kebler Pass Area
DATE OF OBSERVATION: 03/15/2015
NAME: Zach Guy

SUBJECT: Ruby Peak
ASPECT: South East
ELEVATION: 10,500 – 12,000 ft.

AVALANCHES: None observed.

WEATHER: WARM, few clouds, light NE wind.

SNOWPACK: Climbed along the SE ridge in the afternoon. Top 4-6″ was slush or very wet snow. In the shallower parts of the snowpack, ski pole probing went to the ground with wet facets throughout. Deeper parts were supportive, but we didn’t dig down to see how far water had moved. The only signs of instability were pinwheels but we stayed off of steep terrain for the most part.

UPLOADS:

Snodgrass

CBAC March 16, 20152014-15 Observations

NAME: Evan Ross

DATE: 3/15/15

LOCATION: Snodgrass

ELEVATION: BTL

ASPECT: NE

WEATHER: Mostly clear, real warm and no wind.

SNOWPACK:

AVALANCHE OBS:

Heard 1 wet avalanche tumble off the east face of gothic around 1:30pm.

Snodgrass

CBAC March 16, 20152014-15 Observations

NAME: Alex & Donny

DATE: 15-03-15

LOCATION: Snodgrass (Rental shop Glades)

ELEVATION: BTL

ASPECT: SE-E

WEATHER: Few clouds but mostly clear throughout the day. Hot Temps, As billy would say, Africa Hot. Maybe a gust of wind at 5mph

SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: When you get a crack of noon start and are targeting solar aspects i think we all know what were going to find. Found pretty consistent HS around 120cm around 10,500′. Snow was moist all the way to the ground. Boot pen ranging from 25cm to 80cm.

Our group observed multiple large collapses on a 15* SE facing slope around 10,500′. We dug a pit on a SE shaded 30* slope at 10,500′ and found a 4f trending to 1f 35cm slab resting over 70cm of mature facets with P+ 2cm crust layer thrown in the mix. CTX, ECTP18 @60cm, Q1.

Ruby Range

CBAC March 16, 20152014-15 Observations

NAME: JSJ

DATE: 3/15/15

LOCATION: Ruby Mtn, Kebler Pass

ELEVATION: 10,200-12,800

ASPECT: E/SE/S

WEATHER: Mostly clear, warm, light breeze at ridge top, noticeable temperature difference above 11,500′ this am.

SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: As of 1100 am, on steep South Facing terrain (~40*ish), above 12,500′, we found a slight layer of corn over a weak 3cm thick MF crust over 15cms of dry snow (wind loaded layer post storm ?) on a K hard 1cm ice layer (green housing layer immediately post storm?). Below 11,500′ MF crust became soft and mushy and ski pen was 15cms or more. No instabilities seen, though snowpack structure we found, was very much in transition still, and should not be taken for a true Spring Melt Freeze cycle yet.

Mt Emmons

CBAC March 16, 20152014-15 Observations

NAME: ScottDATE: 3/15/15LOCATION: EmmonsELEVATION: 9,000-12,000ASPECT: SEWEATHER: Clear and warm with light windsSNOWPACK: Strong crust in the morning on south aspects. Light winds helped keep the surface cool, although direct sun hastened the melting process. By 11:30 there was 4cm of corn snow above a supportive crust on S-SE aspects. No signs of rollerballs, pinwheels, or wet loose slides prior to 1230.