Date of Observation: 01/02/2023
Name: Zach Kinler
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Dog walk through town.
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: A good number of large natural avalanches on South and West aspects from the recent cycle. Hard to tell exactly where in the snowpack they broke but several were widely propagating with crowns several feet deep suggesting they broke on weak layers within the snowpack. Some crowns looked quite fresh likely breaking within the last 24 hours while others likely broke earlier in the cycle.
Weather: Partly cloudy skies, light westerly winds, cool temps.
Snowpack:
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Large, widely propagating avalanche on a SE aspect above Copper Creek
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Handful of large avalanches, SE aspect above Copper Creek
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Large avalanche with neighboring sympathetic avalanche on a south aspect of Gothic
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Large, widely propagating avalanche on a SE aspect in Coon Basin.
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A few D1.5 slides on SW aspects of Mt. Crested Butte
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A couple large avalanches, SW aspect of Mt. Crested Butte
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Several D1.5 persistent slab avalanches, East aspect BTL
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Estimated avalanche date: 01/01/2023
Number of Avalanches: 1
Location
Location: Mount Emmons
Location Specific:
Start Zone Elevation: NTL: Near Tree Line
Aspect: SE
Characteristics
Trigger: Natural
Trigger modifier:
Type: Soft Slab
Failure Plane:
Size
Relative Size:
Destructive Size: D2.5
Avg. crown height (inches):
Avg. width (feet):
Avg. vertical run (feet):
Involvements
# of people caught:
# of partial burials:
# of full burials:
Additional comments: Coon Basin
Estimated avalanche date: 01/01/2023
Number of Avalanches: 2
Location
Location: Gothic Mountain
Location Specific:
Start Zone Elevation: BTL: Below Tree Line
Aspect: S
Characteristics
Trigger: Natural
Trigger modifier:
Type: Soft Slab
Failure Plane:
Size
Relative Size:
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:
Estimated avalanche date: 12/31/2022
Number of Avalanches: 7
Location
Location: Copper Creek
Location Specific:
Start Zone Elevation: ATL: Above Tree Line
Aspect: SE
Characteristics
Trigger: Natural
Trigger modifier:
Type: Soft Slab
Failure Plane:
Size
Relative Size:
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:
Estimated avalanche date: 01/01/2023
Number of Avalanches: 3
Location
Location: Mount Crested Butte
Location Specific:
Start Zone Elevation: BTL: Below Tree Line
Aspect: SW
Characteristics
Trigger: Natural
Trigger modifier:
Type: Soft Slab
Failure Plane:
Size
Relative Size:
Destructive Size: D1.5
Avg. crown height (inches):
Avg. width (feet):
Avg. vertical run (feet):
Involvements
# of people caught:
# of partial burials:
# of full burials:
Additional comments:
Estimated avalanche date: 12/31/2022
Number of Avalanches: 1
Location
Location: Copper Creek
Location Specific:
Start Zone Elevation: ATL: Above Tree Line
Aspect: SE
Characteristics
Trigger: Natural
Trigger modifier:
Type: Soft Slab
Failure Plane:
Size
Relative Size:
Destructive Size: D2.5
Avg. crown height (inches):
Avg. width (feet):
Avg. vertical run (feet):
Involvements
# of people caught:
# of partial burials:
# of full burials:
Additional comments:
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