Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 01/10/2018
Name: Evan Ross
Subject: Remote Triggered D2 Avalanche
Aspect: North East, East
Elevation: 9,500-10,500
Avalanches:
Remote triggered large avalanche from a lower angled (25 degrees) portion of the slope. Slope angles at the crown were in the 40-45 degree range. Crown heights of about 2.5 feet. Slab was mostly F to F+ with only about 4cm’s of 4f snow on top of the weak layer. Slab failed on 3mm depth hoar.
Weather: Headed out about 10am during a lull in the storm S-1 snow and mostly cloudy sky. Sky became obscured and snowfall started ramping up just after noon. About S2 as we left around 1:30pm.
Snowpack: Only a few inches of new snow had accumulated by the time we left at 1:30pm. Ascended an easterly aspect until 10,000ft in elevation. Soft 2cm crust just under last nights snow. Generally thick feeling snow and just barely moist down to the ground. HS around 60cm. Transitioned into northeasterly terrain above 10,000ft. HS increased to around 90cm and the soft crust under last nights snow disappeared. PS structure was still very very soft. Mostly fist plus mid-pack at best with just a little 4f snow on top of the larger basils facets. Quick snowpit at 10,200ft produced an ECTX and CT12SC on 3cm depth hoar. Only a little bit of cracking in the snow on a steep terrain feature. Didn’t feel any collapse during our short time in the terrain. Didn’t take long to remote trigger a D2 persistent slope from a lower angled snow below.
Video here:Â https://youtu.be/kfH3Fga8Li4
Photos:
