Location: Brush Creek Area
Date of Observation: 03/27/2019
Name: Ian Havlick
Subject: West Brush Below Treeline Observations (Grand Traverse Course)
Aspect: East, South East, South, South West
Elevation: 8500-9500
Avalanches:
no avalanches triggered, however thought with the collapses I observed/triggered so close to steep terrain that remote triggering could be possible. Did observe D2 Gibson Ridge wet slab failing between 1300-1530 yesterday. Steep, easterly BTL terrain that previously slid this year. Also numerous fresh glide avalanches low angle, east facing in Brush Creek, on Mt. CB massif.
Weather: Extremely warm, t-shirt weather, no gloves even on snowmobile. Light SW breeze but barely noticeable. Intense solar despite high clouds. Thicker cirrus around 1500.
Snowpack: Only traveled southerly BTL in Brush Creek yesterday. Boot pen was 20cm off skis, but if “dropped weight” foot would plunge to ground.- illustrating pronounced slab structure remains intact. Traveled intentionally late in the afternoon to observe characteristics of wet, warm snowpack. Snowpack is wet, large grains in upper 30cm, and below that, remains colder, moist, finer grained more midwinter snowpack. Numerous rolling collapses, dropping 3-5cm in places and propagating over 200ft on 20º terrain.
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