Quick report
We toured out and back to the site of the Jan 5 avalanche fatality site via the SW to NW side of Castle Peak (see other avalanche observation for info on that avalanche). Along the way to and from the avalanche site, we made these observations about today's conditions:
Moderate speed winds continued over ridgetops with no more blowing snow. The evidence on the snow surface of stronger winds from the night of Jan 4 until around sundown Jan 5 was widespread in near treeline and above treeline areas. Large sastrugi was present in wind scoured areas, knee high in some locations. Very large wind pillows, some more than 10 feet tall were present in the NW trees of Castle Peak in the 8,400' to 8,600' elevation range. This made navigating through this area while avoiding avalanche terrain a route finding challenge.
In areas where wind drifted snow had been deposited yesterday via preferential redistribution, snow surface conditions ranged from firm and supportable to breakable wind crust. In a few areas it skied okay, but that was the exception. Much softer, consistent snow surfaces were encountered in wind protected areas well below treeline.
We ski cut several test slopes with no results. Hand pits in these wind slab test slopes revealed a subtle density change 4 inches to 2 feet below the snow surface (depending on the amout of wind load). Informal tests indicated significant strength gains since yesterday's avalanche cycle. While performing a crown profile at the site of the Jan 5 avalanche fatality, we had ECTN results (no propagation) on yesterday's failure layer of rimed needle snow crystals. We had one ECTP (propagation) result higher up in the snowpack, but it was not repeatable.
Several wind slab avalanches in the area from Jan 5. We did not encounter signs of a continued instability today.Weather
- Cloud Cover
- overcast
- Wind Loading
- none
- Recent Snowfall
- 90
- Snow Avail For Transport
- small smounts
Sunny start to the morning which transitioned to full cloud cover late morning and stayed that way for the rest of the day.
Avalanche
- Size
- D2 R4
- Type
- SS
- Aspect
- E
- Trigger
- AM
- Elevation
- 8370 ft
A snowmobiler triggered avalanche occurred on Monday January 5, 2026. The snowmobiler was buried and killed in the avalanche. A group of 5 snowmobilers were riding between Castle and Basin Peaks where the avalanche was triggered during the early afternoon and was reported at 2:30pm. After the avalanche occurred, the remaining group searched, found, and dug up their partner and began CPR. The group was assisted by other riders in the area that responded and helped with CPR and communications. Organized search and rescue operations responded to the incident. SAC Forecasters went to the avalanche site and gathered additional information on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. We found a size D2 wind slab avalanche that ranged from 1 to 2 feet deep, 330' wide x 150' vertical drop. Gale force winds on Sunday night through Monday (Jan 4-5) transported a considerable amount of snow at the tail end of the Friday-Sunday (January 2-5) storm cycle that brought 2 to 4 feet of snow to the forecast region. Large amounts of blowing and drifting snow were ongoing when the avalanche occurred. We saw multiple previous slab avalanches that occurred during the Sunday-Monday period in this area. This wind slab avalanche had wide propagation on a steep slope that ran down into dense trees. The strong winds formed dense slabs of wind drifted snow on top of less dense layers of snow. Rimed needle snow crystals were identified in the non-persistent weak layer associated with this avalanche. Additional info added Jan 9 received from an individual who spoke to the group involved the night they made it out of the backcountry: "The group was returning along their traverse from earlier in the day. One in the party went higher on the slope above the low traverse, triggering the slide and was flushed into the trees. They reported their lowest beacon reading at 0.6m." Our condolences go out to the victim's family and friends and all those affected by this tragic accident. We have limited information about the group and where the riders where on the slope when the avalanche was triggered. It is believed that the avalanche was triggered while traversing low on the slope. We will update this page as more details become available.