Depth hoar waking from its slumber

Date of Observation: 12/28/2022
Name: Zach Guy

Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Morning tour in the East River area near Gothic road, around 9500’ on easterly aspects

Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: I ski triggered and saw a handful of natural loose dry avalanches this morning that entrained old snow, D1 in size. Later in the morning, I skier triggered a few soft slab avalanches with minor propagation, that failed on the 12/20 facet layer, about 10” deep.
Weather: Snowfall rates tapered to very light by mid morning. Calm winds.
Snowpack: About 7” to 9” of new snow, started out incohesive and sluffy and settled to slabbier as the day warmed up. By late morning, I started getting shooting cracks up to 20’ and triggered a few small soft slabs on test slopes, breaking on our most recent facet layer. More notable, I got several rumbling collapses in flatter terrain that failed on the depth hoar at the ground, about 3 feet deep. All of the steep pitches that I approached had either shed that more dangerous structure previously, or winds eroded it last week.