Quick report
- Cracking
- widespread
- Collapsing
- widespread
Snow felt light and stable. Line was untracked. Clear skies, warming temps but still cool on Northern aspect. No avalanche signs observed until event. Cautious route selection intended, with extensive and recent experience in area. Skiing was steady down fall line. Early and accelerating sluff in chute was the first sign of instability. No audible cracking, but slabbing and propagation became visible around 8,700ft.
Avalanche
2 skiers on A Chute in Granite Canyon, north facing, entering around 8,900ft around noon on April 1. First skier entered, snow was stable directly underfoot but with increasing sluff. Around 8,700ft observed cracking and felt larger movement in snowpack underfoot. Skier angled and skied out safely. Looking up from bottom, observed several crowns (likely connected?) across several of the NE / east-facing rock faces on skiers left of A Chute. Crown height from ~6-18 inches. Shallow accumulation as slide debris ran full width and length down chute, almost to Granite Creek. 2nd skier then descended safely.