Quick report
- Collapsing
- widespread
The AAS Pro 2 traveled to an open glade at 1250 N on the north side of Sunburst above Lyon Creek for an avalanche rescue drill. During the drill one team member broke away to perform a number of different large column tests. The objective was to see if a PST with a 200cm long column produced different results than with the standard 100cm column. We also performed a standard ECT. The target layer was about 40cm’s down and consisted of faceted grains above a melt-freeze crust. The results were: ECTP 12 PST 40/200 End PST 40/100 End (with this test we actually targeted a MFcr/FC combo a little deeper, about 50cm’s down. When this layer failed the layer above, which was the one we targeted in the other tests, also fractured to the end.) **these tests were conducted about thirty minutes after the columns had been isolated. We also did one other PST with a 200cm beam. This test was conducted immediately after the column had been isolated, and the results were PST 35/200 SF. Interesting that the two tests with 200cm column produced different results. Not surprisingly, and most significantly, there were two small avalanches (D1.5) on the slope above us (at about 1900, N) that released remotely when three skiers approached the rescue practice site. The appeared to run on the PWL we had been testing that was 40cm down.
Avalanche
- Size
- D1.5
- Aspect
- N
- Trigger
- AS
- Elevation
- 1800 ft
Remotely triggered series of slides. First one triggered near the open creek (somehow jumped the open creek). The others were triggered while setting up a rescue scenario from a flat alder glade nearby and below.