San Francisco Peaks / Kachina Peaks Wilderness

Problemas de aludes

• 

  Wind Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alta montaña
  • Límite del bosque
  • Bajo el límite del bosque

  Probabilidad

  Possible

  Tamaño

  1–2

  Southerly, southwesterly and westerly slopes will be most suspect for slabs from prolonged northeasterly winds. Today, southeasterly winds may build new slabs on leeward northwesterly slopes. Other aspects may get cross-loading. 

  Watch for chalky and funky feeling slabs where harder snow overlays softer snow. Wind slabs can also be very hard and may present a hollow drum-like sound as you traverse a slope. Retreat from steep slopes with shooting cracks. 

  Many slopes above and near treeline have been stripped of snow, but expect to find some slopes with new wind-deposited snow. Some near treeline northerly slopes may have survived the recent wind-stripping event. Telemark path on the north face of Fremont appeared to have an old wind slab that was not chewed up by the north winds. The cold temperatures will likely delay the bonding of wind slabs to the old snow surface. Pay close attention to the new/old snow interface. 

• 

  Persistent Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alta montaña
  • Límite del bosque
  • Bajo el límite del bosque

  Probabilidad

  Possible

  Tamaño

  1.5–2.5

  Some slabs that overlay depth hoar/basal facets, have gained significant strength and are pencil+ hard. It will be difficult to deform those slabs and collapse the faceted layers (creating an avalanche). Also, these faceted layers near the ground have strengthened over the last few weeks. Given these developments, it is unlikely that a person will directly trigger a persistent slab avalanche. However, human-triggered wind slab avalanches may have enough force to step down, creating propagating failures in the weak layer of basal facets, resulting in larger avalanches. 

• 

  Cornices

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alta montaña
  • Límite del bosque
  • Bajo el límite del bosque

  Probabilidad

  Possible

  Tamaño

  1–1.5

  Cornices have formed on some difficult-to-access ridgelines near and above treeline. Avoid traveling below or on top of cornices.  They break further back than ya think, as illustrated by the crack forming in the above cornice icon.