Anthracite

CB Avalanche Center2015-16 Observations

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 12/21/2015
Name: EM
Subject: Anthracite
Aspect: North, North East, East, South East, South
Elevation: 10,000 – 11,500

Avalanches: There appeared to be two or three small slides in east bowl. These slides appeared to start as loose sloughs that were able to produce a small amount of lateral propagation. All were r1d1. While snowmobiling back to Y noticed significant natural slide on lookers left side of Ruby. Maybe r3d2.
Weather: Light snow with moderate showers before noon. Very light winds with weak gusting. Some blue sky between noon and 2.
Snowpack: One site that was north facing at 10,900 had a depth of 140 cm. This location was mostly 4F density with fist storm snow above. CT 12,13 60 cm below surface. It appeared this failure occurred on buried SH from 12/11. This area also produced hard results on the lowest facet layer. CT 23,24 77 cm from surface. Tests generally showed Q2 shears. Slope angle at site was 32*
A south facing location at 11,000 showed a depth of 148 cm. The site receives sun during the bulk of the day but is shaded for part of day with trees. Profile showed a complex layering of facets and crusts for bottom 73 cm, 4 different facet crust combos. Above facet crust combos was 75 cm of new snow that has fallen since last Monday. Tests in this location showed no result for new snow old crust interface but showed moderate results CT 17,18 failing just above the lowest crust. Slope angle at site was 29*.

Didn’t experience any collapsing while skinning or skiing.

Irwin Snowcat Operation

CB Avalanche Center2015-16 Observations

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 12/21/2015
Name: Billy Rankin
Subject: Irwin Snowcat Operation
Aspect: West
Elevation: 10-12,000′

Avalanches: 3 triggered Avalanches today. 2 small D-1’s 30-50cm’s deep only running 30-50 feet and not propagating wide. One D-1.5 with a ski cut on a suspect 40 degree rocky roll. West aspect, at 11,000′ 70 cm’s deep, 100’wide, and ran 300′. SS-ASc-R3-D1.5-O on 3-4mm facets / DH.
At least 3 different naturals in the Ruby Range, Two 1.5 below the East facing cliffs in Robinson. One larger Natural on Ruby (ESE) 12,000, towards the saddle, very wide, several hundred feet probably 40-60cm’s deep, guessing D-2
Weather: 5″ new overnight, Storm board at 10″. Stormy in the morning though quickly calmed down and was a mostly calm weather day with only 1″ of additional throughout the day (mostly between 8 & 9 am) winds were strong from the SW this morning and decreased to light to Moderate. Temps remained cool in the 20’s with just a tiny bit of solar radiation mid day.
Snowpack: Shallow cracking and breaking up of the upper snowpack 10-20cm’s deep on 2lb handsets and some ski cuts. Displacing but not really running. No other signs of instability though we mostly were in previously worked or packed terrain.

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Remotely Trigger Slide – 2nd bowl coney’s

CB Avalanche Center2015-16 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 12/21/2015
Name: Dave Bumgarner
Subject: Remotely Trigger Slide – 2nd bowl coney’s
Aspect: North East
Elevation: 10800

Avalanches: Remotely triggered slide R1D2 in 2nd bowl of Coney’s near the tree island. We were skiing in 1st bowl. On our 3rd lap we saw 10+ foot shooting cracks in the start zones of the bowl. After the 1st skier, skied down the slope part way and stopped by a tree. The slide initiated in 2nd bowl in the steeper part of the slope. It ran till the small trees on the slope (300+ feet).
Weather: Overcast Throughout day with some breaks. When the slide happened it was moderately snowing (S2).
Snowpack:

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Natural avalanches in Evans Basin

CB Avalanche Center2015-16 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 12/21/2015
Name: Zach Guy
Subject: Natural avalanches in Evans Baisn
Aspect: East
Elevation: Below treeline

Avalanches: Observed two natural soft slab avalanches that likely ran last night on an east aspect below treeline in Evans Basin. SS-N-R2-D2-O and SS-Ny-R1-D1-O. Failed on 2-3mm depth hoar at the ground. Crown heights were up to 40cm thick, with the slab ranging from 4F at the bottom to F at the top. The larger of the two slides showed impressive propagation, roughly 300 feet wide wrapping around a terrain feature. Measured debris piles up to 6 feet deep. The second slide looked to be sympathetically triggered, 50 feet away, smaller in size.

Weather: Light snowfall with intermittent pulses of S3 through the day. Light winds. Scattered to overcast skies.

Snowpack: Traveled along a creekbed this morning with multiple collapses, shooting cracks up to 40 feet, and creek banks peeling off into the creek. 18″ deep (4F to F slab) over facet layer. Traveled up to the base of the Evan’s Basin slide, got 3 or 4 rumbling collapses that appeared to travel as far as 100 feet away, and numerous other small collapses. Similar snowpack.

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Slate River Avalanches

CB Avalanche Center2015-16 Observations

Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 12/21/2015
Name: Ian Havlick
Subject: Slate River Avalanches
Aspect: North East, East, South East
Elevation: 9000-10500

Avalanches: One skier triggered slide, then triggered hangfire adjacent that pulled out into 25º terrain. 65cm deep slab. Classified SS-ASu-R2-D2-O when combining both initial slide and hangfire triggered slide.

Numerous natural avalanches observed on N-NE-E-SE facing slopes at all elevations size 2-3.5 (some basin wide-Peeler). Only 1 storm slab observed on any kind of westerly tilt today (SW facing slope).
Weather: Partly cloudy, residual instability produced trace while skiing. 15″ new snow overnight, 25″ last 48hrs. No significant wind BTL, light WNW wind near and above treeline. Low 20s.
Snowpack: 15″ of new snow overnight (guessing 6% density) was almost hard to believe, as all ski and sled tracks from previous day were wiped clean. Trailbreaking was difficult for those that were out early (thanks JS and AH!!) . 65cm (25″) new snow last 48hrs. Driving up Slate below Schuykill NW wind texture was apparent, and each gully was crossloaded. 5-7mm Surface hoar found in 3 pits on varying aspects (E-NE-ESE), 65cm deep (preserved by new snow). 2-3mm depth hoar present but unreactive. All snow stability tests showed ECTN… Prop Saw tests should be in order to test basal weaknesses as any kind of shovel tapping may lead to false-stable results with fluffy pow.

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Gothic snowpack obs

CB Avalanche Center2015-16 Observations

Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 12/21/2015
Name: Peter Innes
Subject: Gothic snowpack obs
Aspect: East
Elevation: 9600-9800

Avalanches: None.
Weather: Heavy snow through early morning, then partly sunny. Little to no wind.
Snowpack: About 24cm storm snow overnight, on top of 18cm storm snow that fell yesterday. Probing on an east aspect below treeline, snowpack was 80-90cm deep. Structure was consistent between two pits 200 vertical ft apart, fist hardness throughout with 3-5mm depth hoar, as well as a 5cm slab 40cm below surface, which was still fist hardness but slightly harder than rest of snowpack..

ECTP5 on a 38 degree convex rollover, with a Q2 shear 40cm deep on the 5cm slab previously mentioned.

A ski cut created an isolated series of fractures in the storm snow, but did not propagate. See image.

Pittsburgh Skier Triggered Avalanche

CB Avalanche Center2015-16 Observations

Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 12/21/2015
Name: Jimmy Buchanan
Subject: Pittsburgh Skier Triggered Avalanche
Aspect: North East
Elevation: 10,000′

Avalanches: Skier triggered hangfire, 65 cm deep failing on 5-7 mm preserved surface hoar and breaking into low angle terrain that is skied regularly.
Weather: Overcast. Light to moderate snowfall throughout the morning.
Snowpack: 50-70 cm of new snow in the last two days. HS ranged from 80 cm to 135 cm depending on terrain and elevation. Storm slab became more substantial with gain in elevation. Observed a preserved surface hoar layer on N/NE aspects above 9,600′.

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Kebler Snowpack Obs

CB Avalanche Center2015-16 Observations

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 12/21/2015
Name: Zach Guy, Evan Ross
Subject: Kebler Snowpack Obs
Aspect: North, South East, South
Elevation: Near/Below treeline

Avalanches: Observed one large collapse at ridgeline on a flat slope.
Weather: Light to moderate snowfall through the day. Moderate west to northwest winds at ridgetop. Overcast.
Snowpack: About 6″ of new storm snow. Probing on northerly aspects, found the snowpack ranged from 80 cm to 140 cm. Structure was quite variable. Some slopes held a very soft snowpack throughout, fist hardness. Other slopes held stronger midpack, with basal weak layers. On southerly aspects, the snowpack was shallower, <80 cm.  There was a very thin meltfreeze crust below today’s new snow, and a thicker meltfreeze crust near the bottom (12/11 MFcr), about 50 cm deep.  One pit found no facets above this crust, and decent bonding, ECTN-15 50 cm down on that crust.  Another pit we found a fist hard facet layer above the crust.  The 12/11 crust was thick and on the ground in places, in others, its thin with facet layers below or a crust/facet/crust combo below.

Irwin Cat Operation

CB Avalanche Center2015-16 Observations

Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 12/20/2015
Name: Irwin Guides
Subject: Irwin Cat Operation
Aspect:
Elevation:

Avalanches:
Weather: Wx station still down. Obscured sky all day with periods of S‐5 snow. Moderate to strong winds all day, more SW in the morning and W toward the PM.
1‐3” tonight, 1‐3” tomorrow West winds 15‐25 mph.
Snowpack: 8” of new settled to 6”. Lots of minimal surface cracking in today’s new snow due to the intensity and wind. Last week’s snow is becoming more cohesive still. Likely due to warm days and now cold + settlement. Many cracks in steeper roles going full depth, especially near and below treeline (Knob steep, Cocktail), propagation is less (20‐60’) and the slab just doesn’t seem able to pull out. This will be a concern with new snow in the coming days. We are at 2.5” of H2O in the past 6 days.
Newly formed slabs are showing clean shears on crusts in sunny areas. Fast ski cuts are not effective. Heavy dolphin‐ing is the only way to penetrate the slab, and is becoming more and more difficult.

Coneys

CB Avalanche Center2015-16 Observations

Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 12/20/2015
Name: JSJ, Donny, Level 2 Class
Subject:
Aspect: North, North East, South East, South, West
Elevation: 9,500-10,800′

Avalanches:
Weather: WEATHER: See PM Instability Form below:
Snowpack: SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: See PM Instability Form below

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