Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 01/27/2018
Name: Jeff
Subject: Small Natural Windslab
Aspect: North
Elevation: 9,400-12,390
Avalanches:
1 X D1 natural windslab ~100m below ridgeline ~12K, East, in steep terrain under cliffs.
Weather: Temps stayed brisk all day
Winds: light to Mod BTL & NTL. Strong at ridgetop w/ plumes
Sky: Mostly clear with increasing clouds through the day
Snowpack: HS 30-100cm varying from 9,800 in dense conifer forest to limit of treeline @ 11,500
late morning snowpack was moist on 25* SE slope @ 9,950, dry on Northerly slopes all day.
Ski pen to ground in shallow areas around obstacles, but riding higher (15-30cm ski pen) where midpack was present. Intermittent dense & deep windslab NTL with 10-30cm of F hard snow on top 2-3 small collapses and cracks on skin track on lap 1
At 10,750, N, open slope over jagged talus:
2 large collapses on skin track on lap 2 within 10m of each other.
1st shook trees ~25m away, 2nd created cracks 75m away & echelon cracks throughout the avg 25* slope.
Frequently feel when you’re moving off the slab and into the depthhoar and easier to trigger the PWL. Ironically, the 2 big collapses boomed out on a section of firm skin track adjacent to many soft, weaker areas
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