Persistent Slabs
- Hochgebirge
- Waldgrenze
- Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
- Wahrscheinlichkeit
- Likely
- Größe
- 2–3
Near Galena Summit on Saturday, skiers remotely triggered a 1.5-2' deep avalanche from low angled terrain (photo below/right, more details, video here). On Sunday in the Pole Creek drainage, a group of riders remotely triggered an avalanche that buried the road they were riding on. This happened after the 4th rider had passed underneath the starting zone above. As the snowpack in the southern part of this zone is very similar to where these avalanches occurred (see Chris' video below/to right), they paint a clear picture of what to expect in the backcountry right now.
Even though we're several days out from receiving snowfall, conditions remain dangerous. Which slopes will be easiest to trigger today?
- Terrain where the wind has formed drifts or made the surface snow harder or stiffer. Watch for dunes, waves, or ripples on the snow surface to identify these areas.
- Slopes over about 35 degrees AND slopes over 30 degrees that are directly adjacent to or below slopes over 35 degrees.
The sad truth: the best—and often only—way to manage this persistent slab problem is by sticking to lower-angled terrain and steering clear of slopes with runout zones that have trees, rocks, or terrain traps. Given the possibility of remote-triggering slides, avoiding playing directly beneath avalanche starting zones also reduces the chances of getting in trouble.