Quick report
- Collapsing
- isolated
Only audible feedback was near valleys when stepping off skis and punching through buried crusts. Christmas rain crust was quite stout and supprtive up to around 10'k but, above that, it became less pronounced. A couple quick hand pits noted this change in the rain crust layer as we climbed. In terms of skiing, the new storm snow lost some density, especially on shady aspects, and skied quite nice. Second lap on a more Easterly slope had developed a zipper crust lower in the run, but also skied nice. Pre-storm tracks were still visible and felt amidst the new snow.
Avalanche
- Size
- D2.5
- Type
- SS
- Count
- 2
- Aspect
- NE
- Trigger
- N
- Elevation
- 11800 ft
Large natural avalanches observed off Schuylkill sub (NE) and peak (E). Both released slightly below summits near cliff bands. The slide off the NE likely went sometime yesterday morning and traveled around 1500', impressively clearing several benches in the lower basin. Debris piles and crown had filled in slightly, which led us to believe it went earlier in the cycle. We estimated that one to be at least D2 in size. The second avalanche off the E face of the true summit looked to be more fresh and likely went later in the cycle, as the crown and debris were much more pronounced (from a distance). The crown extended virtually all the way across the bowl and we suspect that one was D2-D2.5. Additionally, we noted roller ball factories coming off high sunny aspects, as well as evidence of a smaller storm slab which released lower on a SE apect sometime during the cycle.