Date of Observation: 01/26/2022
Name: Zach Kinler and Mark Gober
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Mt Emmons, Kebler to Slate. 9,000′-12,000′
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: A handful of small dry loose avalanches in steep, shady terrain. Some natural, some skier triggered on slopes greater than ~38 degrees.
Weather: Fairly cold but it is January. Inversions remained at valley bottom and north breezes kept the alpine chili. Lots of sun.
Snowpack: 2″ of very low-density snow fell overnight. These large, plate-like stellars will be quick to facet on the shady side of the compass. Combine this new snow with the 3-4″ of snow from the previous clipper all resting on a faceted surface from the January dry spell, and the loose dry avalanches on steep shady aspects are gaining some momentum especially below treeline, however, the largest ones observed remain fairly small, slow running and easy to manage at this point.
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- NW aspect below tree line. The largest observed Loose Dry
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- Small Loose Dry on a NNE aspect above tree line
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- Small sluffs in the upper few inches were easy to trigger on slopes pushing 40 degrees in the shade.
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- Modest northerly breezes began moving small amounts of snow at upper elevations.
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- One of the largest stellars I’ve ever seen.
