Summit Lake

Avalanche problems

• 

  Wind Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpine
  • Treeline
  • Below treeline

  Likelihood

  Likely

  Size

  1–2

  Recent Avalanches: The glide activity is easy to see from the highway and continues to be a problem. There were two remote-triggered avalanches reported over two weeks ago on Tenderfoot which failed on a layer of buried surface hoar.

  Strong northerly winds that ramped up yesterday afternoon are forecast to continue today, scouring windward slopes and blowing snow into touchy wind slabs. These could be 1 to 2’ deep and will be easy for a human to trigger. Triggering one of these avalanches also has the potential to create a larger avalanche on a buried layer of weak snow.

  Recent avalanches and blowing snow are red flags telling us that wind slabs are touchy. These are commonly found below ridgelines and in loaded gullies. If the snow underneath you starts to feel firm or you see shooting cracks you are likely traveling on a wind slab. Good snow may be hard to find but the safest option is to turn around and look for slopes sheltered from the wind.

  Cornices will likely be growing large along ridgelines. They look like looming waves of snow. The weight of someone standing on them could release a cornice which could trigger an avalanche. Give cornices plenty of space if you find yourself on a ridge today. 

  

• 

  Persistent Slabs

  • All elevations

  Likelihood

  Possible

  Size

  2–3

  We are still seeing a concerning snowpack setup with a slab of snow sitting on top of weak layers buried 1 to 3’ deep that could trigger a large avalanche above 2,500’. We know these weak layers exist but we are not sure how widespread they are. Snow tests are telling us that they are slowly gaining strength but this type of problem is very challenging to assess. The reason is that weak layers like these may not be present or give stable results in snow tests yet the slope still avalanches. 

  If you find yourself in avalanche terrain it is always a good idea to space out, use safe spots and only expose one person at a time on a slope when riding down. Look for less consequential terrain where terrain traps like gullies don’t exist. Check out this observation on Sunburst in Turnagain Pass for some tips on safe travel techniques. 

• 

  Glide Cracks

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpine
  • Treeline
  • Below treeline

  Likelihood

  Possible

  Size

  2–3

  Glide avalanches begin as glide cracks and have been releasing at alarming rates. Many glide cracks are still looming on slopes above common uptracks into the backcountry. These release spontaneously, creating large avalanches that could run to valley bottoms. If you find yourself approaching these cracks above you, it's safest to space out and minimize time spent under them.