Zone: Northwest Mountains Route Description: Upper Peeler Basin and OBJ Basin, traveled mostly on E and NE aspects from 12,200 to 9,500 ft.
Observed avalanche activity: Yes Avalanches: A handful of wet loose ran today on sunny aspects near treeline, D1 in size. Spotted a few more small soft slabs on leeward terrain (D1) that failed on Saturday on the storm interface. Also noted two slabs that broke around the same time but a little deeper than the storm interface, likely on the graupel layer that was buried ~1/6. These were a bit thicker and denser, D1.5 in size, and in classic graupel pooling locations on aprons below steep, cliffy terrain. Weather: Gorgeous day. Calm, clear, mild temps. Snowpack: Snow surfaces moistened and produced rollerballs and sluffs on steep southerlies. We triggered dry sluffs on shady aspects. We carefully chose slopes with deep, uniform coverage and saw no other signs of instability today. Tested basal weak layers on an east aspect near treeline (see photo/profile). The crust/facet combo near the ground (12/6 interface) still looks quite fragile and produced propagating results in a PST below a 155 cm hard slab. The 1/6 graupel layer also propagated across the entire block, about 30 cm deep, after the block initially collapsed on basal layers. Snow depth at valley bottom of OBJ creek at 9600′ is 155 cm.
Photos:
A slab avalanche that appeared to break on the 1/6 graupel layer
Shallow soft slabs that likely ran on the storm interface on Saturday
Deep slab testing
Profile on an east aspect NTL of Peeler Basin
A handful of small wet loose slides like this ran today, mostly on NTL where we were.
Relative Size: R1 very small Destructive Size: D1- Relatively harmless to people Avg. crown height (inches): 10 Avg. width (feet): Avg. vertical run (feet):
Involvements
# of people caught: # of partial burials: # of full burials:
Additional comments: Thin, soft wind slabs in Upper Peeler
Relative Size: R1 very small Destructive Size: D1- Relatively harmless to people Avg. crown height (inches): Avg. width (feet): Avg. vertical run (feet):
Involvements
# of people caught: # of partial burials: # of full burials:
