Wind Slabs
- Hochgebirge
- Waldgrenze
- Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
- Wahrscheinlichkeit
- Unlikely
- Größe
- 1
Above is a 24 hour data dump from Windy Peak, elevation 10,662'. You can clearly see where southerly winds bumped into the mid 20's for about 12 hours late Friday, tapering off early this morning
Fresh drifts along the highest ridges are about the only avalanche concern these days. The good news is... you'd really have to go out of your way to get into trouble because they're isolated to the highest terrain. In addition, today's wind slabs are easy to detect by their fat, round, and often chalky looking appearance. The bad news is... even a small wind drift can easily knock you off your feet and take you for a nasty ride through rocks, deadfall, or stumps.
And remember- just 'cause you can see it from the road doesn't means it's good to go. Our high mountain passes dump us off in avalanche terrain. I think about early season roadside attractions like Murdock Bowl off the Mirror Lake Highway or Wolf Creek Bowl near highway 35 and Wolf Creek Pass. Easy grabs... right? Even though it might not seem like there's enough snow to avalanche, today you'll want to avoid any steep, wind drifted slope.