Date of Observation: 02/17/2022
Name: Eric Murrow
Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Observation from East Beckwith via social media message
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: Large natural avalanche on a northeast aspect. Appears to be a slab, but can’t make out the exact details. Certainly large enough to bury and kill a person.
Weather:
Snowpack:
Photos:
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A dangerously large debris pile. It appears to be a large slab avalanche running at least a 1,000 vertical feet in this continuously steep, northeast-facing terrain.
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A better view of this avalanche. You can see the slab that likely failed in old snow in the middle of this terrain feature. Photo taken 2/19 by CBAC staff.
Estimated avalanche date: 02/17/2022
Number of Avalanches: 1
Location
Location: Beckwith Range
Location Specific:
Start Zone Elevation: NTL: Near Tree Line
Aspect: NE
Characteristics
Trigger: Natural
Trigger modifier:
Type:
Failure Plane:
Size
Relative Size: R1 very small
Destructive Size: D2 – could bury, injure, or kill a person
Avg. crown height (inches):
Avg. width (feet):
Avg. vertical run (feet):
Involvements
# of people caught:
# of partial burials:
# of full burials:
Additional comments: Aspect looks to straddle east and northeast aspect. Crown look to be just above 11K, but man its hard to really tell what happened in there other than debris pile. Looks like the largest avalanche in several weeks if not since the Holiday natural cycle.
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