Date of Observation: 12/25/2022
Name: Evan Ross
Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: NW Mountains, various aspects, BTL/NTL
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: While jumping around on a ridge, I triggered an estimated D2 avalanche off the NE side of the ridge. This avalanche released in early December facets and above the November facets. This appeared to be an old/hard wind whale at the top of the slope that would have been formed earlier this month during more southwesterly wind events. The entire snowpack in the crown was in various forms of the faceting process, except for the most recent 4″ on top. Despite the faceted snowpack, it was still 1F to 1F+ hard through most of the crown. Just slightly downhill of the crown, the snowpack was mostly weak and shallow, with just a little 1F left in the mid-pack. This was represented in the avalanche flank, and in recent travels on similar terrain. I suspect this old wind whale released and then flushed to the ground through the weak snowpack below.
Snowpack: Over the last few days traveling mostly in wind sheltered below treeline areas, there hasn’t been anything notable to report.
Photos:-
- Crown
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- Flank, just 10ft below the crown. Shallow HS. Facets on facets with a little 1F left in the mid-pack.
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- Crown
