Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 01/19/2020
Subject: Rumblings in the Perry Creek area
Aspect: North East, East, South, South West, West
Elevation: 9,000 – 10,200
Avalanches: none observed.
Weather: Sunny and cool. Little wind. Strong solar.
Snowpack: HS variable from 70cm to 120cm along route. Snow generally supportive to skis, except in willows at creek bottoms. Snow surface soft and consistent. Significant wind drifts along W facing drainage features. Ski pen 30 – 50cm, boot pen to the ground with few exceptions. Experienced two, big, rumbling collapses as we skied through low angle sagebrush meadows at 9300′ – 9,600′, S – SW aspect. No cracking. Pole probe at site of collapses indicated 50/50 snowpack – upper half storm snow, lower half cohesionless depth hoar, separated by a stout MF crust. In the low angle terrain we traversed, best travel was along or on top of wind drifts. Had to stay light on your feet on the down to prevent a facet facial.