Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>We did not experience any cracking or collapsing -</p>
Intention was to access the significant slide in the Woolley Hole on the north side of Timp. This (and many others naturalled) during just before New Years during the heavy snow and wind. Provo has seen upwards of 3-5" of SWE along with significant loading from the southerly winds. We gained the ridge to 9000' and pulled the plug due to overall hazard - the ridge is difficult to follow and wants to "barn door" you into starting zones that haven't slid yet. So we bailed, knowing that the avalanches had failed on the October PWL.
It is possible that an avalanche or cornice fall from above triggered this significant avalanche. Debris flowed over the hanging valley lip and down into the meadow below (~7800'). The Pika (last pic) cirque also naturalled during the cycle, perhaps size 3. Photos below.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Quick profile at 9000' on an ENE slope (possibly wind drifted owing to terrain)....yielded HS of 140cm. Lower 10cm of 2-3mm facets were damp and borderline 4F+. No cracking or collapsing noted. </p>
Sunny aspects went off, leaving a thin zipper crust when affected snow went into the shade. Snow surface already starting to weaken and this may have provoked some minor sluffing in the steepest terrain.