Lawinenlagebericht

Togwotee Pass

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Wed
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
Keine Stufe
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 3 years ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

Avoid steep slopes where you find evidence of windblown snow. Slides could also break into buried weak layers, producing a more dangerous avalanche. These are most likely above 9,000 feet and could be triggered remotely—from gentler terrain below, above, and to the sides of steep slopes. Be alert to the consequences of being caught in an avalanche in the terrain you are traveling in.

Remotely triggered avalanche near Pinnacle Buttes

Lawinenprobleme

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Possible
    Größe
    1.5–2.5

    The string of triggered slabs over the past week is a great demonstration that we have weak layers of snow buried in the upper portion of the snowpack across the board. Recent snowfall has built a hefty slab that is composed of slick crusts, facets, or some combination of these. This interface is around 1-2 feet deep.  You are most likely to trigger this problem where a slab tapers in depth (below cliffs or on rocky slopes, in steep or rocky features with sparse trees, and in areas on steep slopes that have high continuity or are convex). Reading weak snow and knowing the differences in the type of terrain you want to enter is the name of the game at Togwotee. Areas where this problem and problem #2 overlap will pose the highest hazard. When walking out the door today, remember that despite being later in the spring, you will be greeted with a mid-winter snowpack in the alpine. Weak snow can be found here by stepping off your sled or skis. I was able to find it (and remotely trigger it) yesterday. 

    Avalanches on steep slopes at low elevations will remain possible today and on any day with the possibility of a clearing. Cloud cover is particularly fickle in spring. Any direct sunshine for consistent periods of time will create instability on W-S-E aspects. 

     

  • Wind Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Likely
    Größe
    1–2

    Consistent light to moderate winds today will continue to re-sculpt recent snowfall. Yesterday near Pinnacle Buttes, I found sensitive drifts up to 2 feet in depth at 10,000 feet on a N aspect. In many areas today you may encounter stiff, densely-packed drifts and slabs. Due to the strength of these winds during the storm, as well as continued shifting winds today, you may find these slabs in atypical locations or loading cross-slope. Today's wind slabs are likely becoming more stubborn as time passes, but the wind will continue to work surface snow. 

Avalanche Discussion

Every time we get to enter the backcountry, it is the chance to view our surroundings with a child-like curiosity.  When it all boils down to it, skiing or sledding is a chance to play outside with our friends and be in a phenomenally interesting compound (snow) that is in a constant state of change. As you move through the mountains, take the time to observe the nature of the snow you are traveling through. How has the wind reshaped the snowpack overnight, and why does the snow you are moving through feel and look like it does? Look for areas where the wind has scoured down and revealed old ski and sled tracks underneath. Is yesterday's track now nowhere to be found due to winds continuing to move snow? This process of observation is one of the most powerful tools in our safe backcountry travel in our toolkit. It is also what enables us to sniff out areas with good, stable skiing and riding, and makes us masters of our own exposure to hazards. There is always something new (and usually something older to track) in the world of snow, we just have to choose to look.

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