Date of Observation: 01/05/2022
Name: Hotline Observation
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Carbon Peak adjacent to Splains Gulch area
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: Natural avalanche from Holiday Cycle on the north side of Carbon.
Photos:
5213
Date of Observation: 01/05/2022
Name: Eric Murrow
Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Viewed from Mount Baldy on 1/3
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: A couple of natural avalanches from Holiday cycle in the Ruby Range that remained hidden from the flight crew.
Weather:
Snowpack:
Photos:
5212
Date of Observation: 01/05/2022
Name: Zach Kinler
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Helicopter
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches:
Weather:
Snowpack:
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5211
Date of Observation: 01/05/2022
Name: Zach Kinler
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Helicopter
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: Documenting the recent avalanche cycle of large to very large avalanches estimated to have run around 12/31. Most were on leeward and shady slopes ATL with a few on West aspects.
Weather:
Snowpack:
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5210
Date of Observation: 01/05/2022
Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Irwin Tenure
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: Avalanche observations: Ski Hero’s HS reactive to a single 3 # hand charge. Failed on 2-3mm DH on top of a 1F
crust. 10 cm above the ground.
HS-AE-R3-D2.5-O FC (130cm x 100m x 350m) Failed on late Oct snow
Photos:
5209
Date of Observation: 01/04/2022
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Standard Red Lady skin track from the Kebler TH to the Summit.
Observed avalanche activity: No
Avalanches:
Weather: Calm and pleasant at the trailhead. Air temps in the 20’s but wind chill must have been -20 at and above tree-line. Eric said on the radio this morning that the jet stream was going to be dipping in our direction; he was spot on, as it felt like we were actually in the jet stream! Sustained SSW winds in the 30-40mph range with gusts much higher than that. I got blown over once and stopped to brace myself several times. Ended up wearing a puffy and full buff on the climb near and above tree-line, which is rare for me…
Snowpack: We were hoping for some recycled powder in the bowl but were (un)pleasantly surprised to find a widespread and inpenetrable windslab throughout caused by strong down slope winds. I suppose the old tracks rising up and out of the snow should have been a clue. The best turns were down lower and anywhere there was a rippled texture to the snow surface. Although there was plenty of wind, there didn’t seem to be much available snow for transport: the ridges are quite scoured.
5208
Date of Observation: 01/02/2022
Name: Zach Guy
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Gothic Mountain
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: Adding a few previously undocumented D3 to D4 sized avalanches from the 12/31 cycle or earlier. North to east aspects of Gothic.
Photos:
5207
Date of Observation: 01/02/2022
Name: Zach Guy
Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Baldy above Schofield Pass
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: Several destructive avalanches from 12/31 cycle, generally D3 to D4, on east to northeast aspects.
Photos:
5206
Date of Observation: 01/02/2022
Name: Zach Guy
Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Anthracite Creek and some Raggeds Wilderness that drains into North Anthracite Creek.
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: A few large to very large avalanches above Middle and North Anthracite Creeks. Not as much activity here, likely because most of the terrain is southerly in aspect.
Photos:
5205
Date of Observation: 01/02/2022
Name: Zach Guy
Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Yule Pass (Purple, Treasury, Treasure, and Mt. Justice ridgeline)
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: This area seemed to be the bullseye for the most destructive slides of the cycle, generally D3 to D4 in size, most crowns looked crisp so they ran on 12/31. Impressive crown depths (up 12 to 15 feet) and some wild propagation across multiple start zones. Mostly on northerly and east aspects. A few of these are west of our forecast area, but they were significant enough to document here.
Photos:
5204
