Big Inch

CBAC April 14, 20212020-21 Observations

Date of Observation: 04/14/2021
Name: Evan Ross and Zach Guy

Zone: Northwest Mountains
Location: Axtell
Aspect: North
Elevation: 9,500-11,900

Avalanches: Easy to manage dry loose avalanches on steep north-facing slopes above 10,500ft.

Weather: Few clouds in the morning and increasing in the afternoon. Light winds where we traveled, could see a few small plumes near the Elk Crest mid day.

Snowpack: The steeper north-facing terrain we skied above 10,500ft had a mostly dry old snow surface with about 1.5″ of new snow on top. The new snow was producing small sluffs that were easy to manage. Below 10,500ft on the lower angled slopes, the snow surface became very sticky and wet. The flatter terrain remained supportable to skis around noon. We didn’t get a good sample of low elevation terrain on steeper slope angles, but one small northerly test slope entrained the top 6″ to 8″ of wet snow after a ski cut.

: Small dry loose avalanches.

: The closest thing we could find to a wind slab: harmless 2″ thick drifts.

: Wet snow gouging down about 6″ to 8″ on a small low elevation test slope.

Gothic 7am Weather Update

CB Avalanche Center April 14, 20212020-21 Observations

Date of Observation: 04/14/2021
Name: billy barr

Zone: Southeast Mountains
Location: Gothic
Weather: Scattered light snow Tuesday and overnight into Wed. with just 1½” new snow and 0.15″ of water. Snowpack sits at 28″, up 1″ from the year’s low. The snowpack did not harden much overnight so could get quite rotten if we get decent sun as there was a bit of clearing starting just before sunrise. Breezy overnight and currently around 3-6 mph SW. Not much to write about but it is the heaviest snow ‘storm’ this month so far.

Off season for avalanches

CBAC April 11, 20212020-21 Observations

Date of Observation: 04/11/2021
Name: Zach Guy

Zone: Southeast Mountains
Location: Mt. Emmons
Aspect: North East, East
Elevation: Below treeline

Avalanches: Skier triggered a couple of shallow wet loose slides in very steep terrain. They didn’t run far or entrain more than the top few inches of mush.
Weather: Another beautiful day. Light winds below treeline. Temps in the 40’s. Clear skies.
Snowpack: Early afternoon tour on suspect below treeline slopes to assess the effects of last night’s warming trend. Ski cut wet sluffs were confined to very steep terrain and are still not entraining volume or gouging deeper than the top few inches. The snowpack is wet throughout with drainage to the ground now well established where we traveled. The snow was supportive to skis but boot pen is thigh deep.

Tipsy cornices!

CB Avalanche Center April 11, 20212020-21 Observations

Date of Observation: 04/11/2021
Name: Ben A

Zone: Southeast Mountains
Location: Wolverine Ridge
Aspect: East
Elevation: ATL

Avalanches: Skier triggered very small wet looses on E aspects, and very small dry looses on due north. Both confined to very steep terrain.
Snowpack: Cornice about 100 yards long pulling way back from the Wolverine Ridge. See photos, pretty cool if you’re on the right side of it.

Photos:

Corn

CBAC April 10, 20212020-21 Observations

Date of Observation: 04/10/2021
Name: Zach Guy and Eric Murrow

Zone: Northwest Mountains
Location: Upper Slate
Aspect: East, South East
Elevation: 9600 to 12500’

Avalanches: Nothing new.
Weather: Clear skies, mild temps, light ridgetop winds.
Snowpack: Nothing noteworthy. Good freeze overnight, surfaces started softening mid morning on easterly aspects. The top few inches were soft by noon. Found a few very steep or rocky terrain features late morning where the snowpack was weaker and mushier but ski cuts couldn’t get any wet sluffs moving. Snow now has dust on the surface and has developed some sun textures and runnels on sunnier aspects.

Photos:

: Gunnison County’s largest cinnamon roll? This monster rolled off of Mineral Point last weekend during the warmup. Didn’t see anything like this happening today.

Hunting for normal caution

CBAC April 9, 20212020-21 Observations

Date of Observation: 04/09/2021
Name: Zach Guy and Zach Kinler

Zone: Southeast Mountains
Location: Copper Creek
Aspect: South East, South
Elevation: 9500 – 13000′

Avalanches: Nothing new today. Documented more D1 to D2.5 wet activity and cornice falls from the recent cycle; see photos of the most noteworthy slides. Also crossed a couple of the larger debris piles (D3.5+) I’ve come across from one of the February cycles; one knocked over a few mature trees.
Weather: Cool and breezy up high kept surfaces frozen at ridgetop. Clear skies.
Snowpack: Snowpack looks and feels like a May snowpack. No signs of instability or avalanche problems noted throughout the tour. Snow surfaces stayed frozen or thawed to ideal corn near and above treeline by 12:30 or so. The snowpack stayed mostly supportive to skis below treeline this afternoon, although some valley locations became punchy and unsupportive. Ski cuts on steep pitches where the snow was getting too sloppy didn’t produce anything.

Photos:

: D2 wet loose gougers above Copper Lake (W/SW aspects)

: D2 wet slab near Dorothy Peak (southerly aspect)

: Previously documented wet slab above Virginia Basin

: D2 cornice fall

: D2.5 wet slab and wet loose above Copper Creek (SE/E aspects)

: D2 wet slab and wet loose above Copper Creek (SE’rly aspect)

: D2 wet slab above Copper Creek (west aspect)

: Extensive debris and several large trees toppled by a very large slide in February

: D2 wet loose gougers near Copper Pass (S/SW aspects)

: D2 Wet loose gouger on Snodgrass (NE aspect)

: D2 wet slabs above Copper Creek (southerly aspect)

: D2 wet slides (looks like some slabs, some loose), above Copper Creek. (Easterly aspect)

Normal Spring

CBAC April 8, 20212020-21 Observations

Date of Observation: 04/08/2021
Name: Evan Ross

Zone: Northwest Mountains
Location: Ruby Range Near Irwin
Aspect: East, South East, South
Elevation: 10,500-12,600ft

Weather: Overcast sky became partly cloudy. Moderate westerly winds on upper elevation ridge lines. Light winds at lower elevations in the AM hours.
Snowpack: Normal spring, not much to say. We skied SE to E around noon. The top couple inches of the snowpack was nice and soft. On real steep slope angles you could just get that dirty 2-3″ of snow to start pushing down hill.

A few more from the recent wet cycle

CBAC April 8, 20212020-21 Observations

Date of Observation: 04/08/2021
Name: Zach Kinler
Zone: SE/NW Mountains

Avalanches: Flew around the forecast area looking for notable avalanches from last weekend’s wet cycle not yet reported. I Estimated an additional15-20 large Wet Loose avalanches running out of steep terrain generally from E-S-W near and above treeline. Around 8 new Wet Slab avalanches were observed, all in the D2 range on a variety of steep, sunny slopes.

Snowpack: Turning brown.

: Virginia Basin, large wet slab SE ATL as well as a large wet loose S, ATL

: Wet slab just north of Teocalli Mt, SE ATL

: 3 separate wet slabs on West aspect NTL near Cumberland Basin

: Several wet loose/glide avalanches with 1 small wet slab lookers right, Emerald Lake SW, BTL

: Upper East River, wet slab on an east aspect, BTL

: Just north of the CBAC forecast zone near Star Peak, this wet slab ran on a SE aspect ATL

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West Side Kebler Check In

CBAC April 7, 20212020-21 Observations

Date of Observation: 04/07/2021
Name: Evan Ross

Zone: Northwest Mountains
Location: West Side Kebler and East Beckwith
Aspect:
Elevation: 9,000-10,500

Avalanches: Old avalanche activity was similar to other locations around our greater forecast area. Loose wet avalanches or rollerballs on all aspects except some high north. Some loose wet avalanches also gouged deeply into the snowpack or triggered wet slab avalanches. Only noticed a couple of proper wet slabs. No fresh avalanche activity from today.

Weather: Partly cloudy and winds helping keep the snow cool. Down low on the east side of Kebler pass the cold winds where holding a steady breeze. Down low on the west side of Kebler Pass the winds were calm.

Snowpack: Snow surfaces softened in the afternoon on all aspects below treeline. On northeast to east slopes around 10,000ft by east beckwith you could push small loose wet avalanches on steep terrain in the top 2″ of the snowpack. Not really much of a problem unless in bigger terrain maybe. Snowpack stayed supportable to boots on a variety of aspects down low. Dug into some NE to E aspects around 10,000ft near east beckwith with an HS in the 100 to 120 range. These couple of holes didn’t show any wet slab issues with water having already drained through the snowpack or the old depth hoar had at least become wet, and changing grain type. In the end, nothing too notable.

: Couple small wet slabs near or below 10,500ft W and SW aspects.

: ESE Marcellina. Wet rock between the snow fields but no notable running water at noon.

: East facing sup peaks of East Beckwith

crusts, corn, slides

CB Avalanche Center April 7, 20212020-21 Observations

Date of Observation: 04/07/2021
Name: Mark Robbins

Zone: Northwest Mountains
Location: upper slate drainage

Avalanches: Not sure when these ran or if they’ve already been documented. North end of Schuylkill ridge, probably ENE facing? And Purple Ridge near Poverty Gultch, SW facing. See photos.

Weather: Windy AF up high, in and out of clouds, cool air temps

Snowpack: Skiing just before noon, South facing at 12,500 showed minimal signs of softening. By 12,000 the top inch was soft. By 11,500 and SE exposure we got into full corn, 2-3 inches of soft snow. Mushy but still supportive by 10,500 at 12:15.

Photos:

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