Valanga

Highway 20 Hairpin to Kangaroo Pass

Avalanche.org observerEast Slopes North
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Foto dell’osservazione 1Foto dell’osservazione 2Foto dell’osservazione 3Foto dell’osservazione 4

Quick report

Our group took advantage of the recently (partially) plowed road to bike up to the hairpin turn from Mazama. We were interested in skiing Spire Gully, but were wary of cornice fall given the relatively high temperatures, relative late start to the skiing (~11:00AM start skinning), and the fact that the fan under Spire Gully had not slid yet. We went up to Kangaroo Pass instead, and skied back to the hairpin to bike out. Of note in the photos, there was a glide crack in the fan below Spire Gully that I don't believe was reported on the 4/2 observation. Additionally, we didn't actually observe much if any avalanche activity on the day of our tour. Wet debris was at least a day old, and we didn't see or hear any cornices collapse. Snow texture was wildly variable; highly dependent on aspect. A pillow of snow near the hairpin could have melting corn on one face, and a foot in the other direction (on a more northerly aspect), snow could be downright powdery. Surprisingly, snow on a north aspect at about 6045' (48.50530, -120.62457) was mostly 4-6" of powder on top of a hard crust (this 150' slope was the only section of continuous powder-like snow we encountered, and it required skiing through short alpine firs to enjoy). This powder layer slid easily over the crust, and made for challenging skinning. To illustrate the importance of aspect, one NW-facing slope at a higher elevation (6550', 48.50213, -120.62292) was breakable melt-freeze crust.

Avalanche

A mix of old avalanche debris. Some small wet loose (<D0.5) likely from 4/3, plus some larger debris paths that could have been from a combination of recent warming, or the March atmospheric river; it was hard to determine. A few inches of snow rested on top of the larger debris.