Location: Crested Butte Area
Date of Observation: 03/08/2019
Name: Evan Ross
Subject: View of the Red Lady Bowl Avalanche
Aspect: South East, South
Elevation: 9,300-11,500ft
Avalanches:
Red Lady Bowl ran naturally on Wednesday 3/6. This avalanche is estimated to have run in the 60-80% range of its current potential avalanche path (R4). It was very large and destructive in size (D4). Since this avalanche ran before the peak loading event during the evening of 3/6 and early hours of 3/7, much of the crown and debris had filled back in with snow by the time this observation was made on 3/8. The deepest part of the crown observed today appeared to be in the 10 to 15 foot range. The crown width was estimated to be 4,700ft wide. Avalanche debris ran for about 3,000 vertical feet. As those debris ran through the avalanche path they pulled out a couple additional avalanches on the flanks for the avalanche path. The highest elevation of the crown was about 12,300ft in elevation. Red Lady Bowl on Mt Emmos is a southeast facing terrain feature. The crown spanned from east to southeast to south aspects.
Weather: Overcast with a few light snow showers. Light winds with some drifting at the upper elevations we traveled. Difficult to observe the extent of current wind loading at higher and more open elevations.
Snowpack: Moist and thick snow surfaces below 10,000ft. Traveled on southeasterly facing terrain at the lower end of avalanche terrain with no obvious sings to instability.
Photos:
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- Toe of the avalanche debris just above Kebler Pass TH
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- Google Earth used to measure crown width. (not exact crown location)
