Quick report
- Cracking
- widespread
- Collapsing
- widespread
Recent widespread large natural avalanche activity was more than evident. The snowpack structure that caused the more than 15 large slides still exists, and is showing all obvious signs of instability — recent avalanches, collapsing, and cracking. This means that large human-triggered avalanches are likely.
We experienced cracking and collapsing through most all terrain that we traveled on foot. These ranged in size from localized to entire small slopes.Weather
- Cloud Cover
- few
- Wind Loading
- previous
- Rain Elevation
- All precipitation fell as snow in areas we traveled
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
Only high, thin clouds cover small parts of the sky. Winds were calm, only ever getting up to light near ridgeline for our tour. Temps were below freezing, but likely in the high teens F (estimated).
Snowpack
Riding sleds up Beaver Creek, we observed widespread large natural avalanche activity. We easily saw over 15 slides, with many of them being D2 or greater in size, and the smaller of these spanning almost to the farthest they could possibly run (R4). Leaving sleds on skis near 7500' heading towards Vienna Peak, we experienced widespread cracking and collapsing that continued throughout our tour. Traveling up to near 9100', wind effect was evident, with many areas either almost entirely stripped of snow or holding large pillows of wind-drifted snow. Reaching ridgeline, many snow surfaces were textured, with cornices hanging at ridgelines on most ridgelines we could view from our vantage in the drainage.
Avalanche
- Size
- D2.5
- Count
- 4
- Aspect
- SE
- Elevation
- 9850 ft
Widespread large natural activity was more than evident in all terrain we traveled. We easily saw over 15 slides, with many of them being D2 or greater in size.