Persistent Slabs
- Hochgebirge
- Waldgrenze
- Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
- Wahrscheinlichkeit
- Possible
- Größe
- 2–3
Recent Avalanches: There have not been any recent avalanches reported in Summit Lake.
Summit Lake received 4" of new snow yesterday with strong easterly wind. Although you may find a small wind slab up to 1' deep, the main concern today is the chance of triggering a very large avalanche on weak snow that is buried up to 4' deep. This is still a bigger concern in Summit Lake than our other zones because the layer is not buried quite as deep as it is elsewhere. It is easier for a person to impact a weak layer when it is closer to the surface. The thick crust that exists in the lower elevations is helping to prevent our weight from reaching the weak layer, but where the crust thins above 2,000' chances go up that you could impact this layer and trigger a large avalanche.
The other unfortunate part of this problem is that the slab that is sitting on top of this weak snow is very dense. If you are unlucky, and find a thin spot to trigger this layer, the avalanche will be large and difficult to survive. Thin spots usually exist close to rocky ridges, but sometimes they are beneath the snow and invisible.
The good news is this problem is trending in the right direction and snowpack tests are indicating it is becoming stubborn to trigger. If you are heading into steeper terrain, ensure safe travel protocols are being used, like choosing low angle up routes, keep a close eye on partners, and travel one at a time in terrain above 30 degrees.
(2/9/2026)
Snowpit on the north side of Tenderfoot Ridge at 3,150' showing an unstable test result. Although stubborn, it shows there are still chances a person could find a thin spot and trigger an avalanche on the December facets.
Photo: Mik Dalpes
