Avalanche

Gulkana Glacier

Avalanche.org observerEastern Alaska Range
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Observation photo 1

Quick report

Collapsing
isolated

The new/old snow interface appears to be starting bond but there is still a layer with the potential to propagate about 3 feet deep, and a facet layer that nearly 5 feet deep that might be able to be triggered in shallower spots.

Weather

Air Temp
~10
Cloud Cover
broken
Wind Loading
light
Recent Snowfall
10
Snow Avail For Transport
large amounts

Clear, calm weather until the night of the 19th, a south wind and light snow picked up through the night, and there were several fresh windslabs the following day.

Snowpack

Dug a pit at 5700 feet on the 19th, overall snow depth was 245cm. Had an ECTN15 and a CT18 at what appeared to be the new/old snow interface 45cm deep, and got an ECTP25 on a layer 80cm deep. Also observed a facet layer at 165 cm deep that could be reactive in shallower areas, which released with a lot of energy with a shovel shear.

Avalanche

Observed some natural avalanches on our way in on the 18th and a few natural Windslabs on the 20th, also heard an avalanche that appeared to be triggered by icefall on the night of the 19th.