Fishhook Road / Natural Avalanche Cycle

Today we took another trip up to the road closure at Gold Mint to observe for more recent natural activity. Several paths that had run yesterday off Arkose Ridge appeared to have run again as well as several new natural avalanches from the same aspect. Most notable was a very large recent natural avalanche from the Waterfall path across from Skeetawk that released sometime in the last 24 hours and deposited well over 30' of debris on the Little Su, damming the river and beginning to flood the adjacent campground. 

While in the area we communicated with State Parks, State Troopers, and DOT to help advise on recent natural avalanches and the potential for continued avalanche activity to impact the roadway. At around 13:00 when we made our departure the DOT was communicating with the troopers about moving the road closure to Mile 10. 

Walking around on the snow below Gold Mint lot was punchy and isothermic. With SWE totals over 7'' it's no doubt much of this water has percolated through the snowpack and is draining to the ground. At higher elevations where snow is falling the sheer weight of all this new snow has likely crushed much of the existing snowpack or wiped it away in a natural avalanche cycle. Recent large natural avalanches are easy indications of widespread instability.