Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 12/03/2018
Name: Evan Ross
Subject: Sketch on East, worked out on South
Aspect: East, South
Elevation: 9,500-11,500
Avalanches:
Observed a few D2 soft slab avalanches that failed 1 to 3 days ago. These soft slabs failed at ridgeline around 11,400ft and propagated about 50% across the start zones, but were only R1’s relative to the whole avalanche path. Snowpits would suggest that they failed on top of the thanksgiving crust and the crowns have started filling back in. However they could have just failed within the new snow.
Poor vis so could only see terrain in the immediate area. 3X-SS-N-R1-D2 South facing slopes around 11,400ft.
Weather: Mostly Cloudy. Snowing S1 80% of the day. Calm wind, but didn’t really spend much time at ridgeline.
Snowpack: Definitely a play day, but some things are obvious even when you are not looking hard. To start they day, we were on an easterly aspect between 9,500 and 10,000ft. Big rolling collapses. Some shooting cracks but fewer than you would think. Just straight up avoided avalanche terrain here.
Spent the rest of the day on southerly facing slopes between 10,000ft and 11,500ft. Informally, just deep the whole time, wholly cow. The Thanksgiving crust and facets around that crust felt like the main issue. SE was more hollow and faceted below the crust, while south and southwest felt less likely to collapse the crust. The most likely avalanche problem felt like the snow above the Thanksgiving crust moving as a very soft slab onto of the crust. At 11,100ft, on a south aspect, the HS was 100cm! The Thanksgiving crust was down about 55cm with some small facets around the crust. A couple small collapses were felt on the shaded side of tree stands, otherwise know obvious signs to instability were observed on slope angels around 35 degrees on previously untraveled terrain.
Photos: