Quick report
- Cracking
- specific
Our team of 3 set out to attempt the White Salmon Route of Mt Shuksan. Wet heavy snow was noted during our descent into the valley when we started around 0430. Snow became lighter and deeper during our ascent with ski pen around 30-40cm at upper elevations. Starting around 5500', we observed shooting cracks between 10-120cm while setting the skin track. At ~6200', our team triggered a D1 avalanche on a slope of approximately 38°. No one was caught or carried. Our team decided to abandon our attempt and skied conservative slopes on our descent. Snow started light and fluffy and became wet and heavy as we descended. During our descent, our team observed a D3 wet loose slide into the valley through one of the drainages that was present during our ascent. The problems we encountered and observed were expected, however the reactivity of the wind slab problem was higher than expected and the wet loose problem was larger and presented earlier in the day than expected.
Avalanche
- Size
- D1
- Type
- SS
- Aspect
- N
- Trigger
- AS
- Elevation
- 6175 ft
D1 SS avalanche was triggered while setting the skin track on a N aspect slope, approximately 39° slope angle around 6200' avalanche broke 60m wide with a crown depth 30-70cm. Time 0955 D3 WL avalanche was observed during our descent at 1050. The avalanche was not present during our ascent. Trigger unknown. No skin tracks observed above slide, a lot of roller ball and tree bomb activity notes in the slopes above.