Quick report
In the northern Sawtooths, I saw several large natural avalanches near Williams Pk. and McGown Pk. In the Banner Summit zone, I saw natural wind slab and storm slab avalanches near Ruffneck Peak, and several small loose snow avalanches in the Vanity Ck. headwaters. I observed no signs of instability like cracking or collapsing while riding.
I saw numerous large, persistent slab avalanches in the alpine of the northern Sawtooth. I saw less activity glassing in the Banner Summit zone. In the Ruff Neck Lakes drainage, any avalanches observed were not deeper than recent snowfall.Weather
- Air Temp
- 4
- Cloud Cover
- clear
- Wind Loading
- previous
- Recent Snowfall
- 0
- Snow Avail For Transport
- large amounts
Clear skies and calm winds. The temperature in the parking area was 4 F at 1230, and noticeably warmer at 8000'.
Snowpack
Below the most recent snowfall (~35 cm), on solar slopes, there is a thin crust that likely formed near the solstice.
On N and NE slopes I found intact buried SH that ranged in depth from 60-90 cm down (NE, 8000', HS 160, ECTP 22 @67). No SH was found on the S and E facing slopes I traveled on, but I suspect it is still lingering in some of the shaded creek bottoms around this area.
Avalanche
- Size
- D2.5
- Count
- 4
- Aspect
- NE
- Trigger
- N
- Elevation
- 9800 ft
Large natural avalanche on the NE face of Peak 9709 in the headwaters of Crooked Cr. The avalanche looks to of initiated at the ridgeline and propagated along the cliff walls.