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:
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- D2 wet loose gougers above Copper Lake (W/SW aspects)
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- D2 wet slab near Dorothy Peak (southerly aspect)
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- Previously documented wet slab above Virginia Basin
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- D2 cornice fall
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- D2.5 wet slab and wet loose above Copper Creek (SE/E aspects)
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- D2 wet slab and wet loose above Copper Creek (SE’rly aspect)
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- D2 wet slab above Copper Creek (west aspect)
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- Extensive debris and several large trees toppled by a very large slide in February
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- D2 wet loose gougers near Copper Pass (S/SW aspects)
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- D2 Wet loose gouger on Snodgrass (NE aspect)
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- D2 wet slabs above Copper Creek (southerly aspect)
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- D2 wet slides (looks like some slabs, some loose), above Copper Creek. (Easterly aspect)
