Jim Hill

Evidence of recent avalanches wasn't hard to find above treeline today, from days old to hours old. Starting on west-facing terrain around 4800', an existing skintrack traversing steep slopes had been covered by multiple D1-D1.5 dry loose avalanches that initiated on convex rolls (possibly ran from tree bombs). Shortly thereafter, surface hoar became common (5000' upward). I gained the col at 5400', and immediately saw a natural, mid-slope ,storm slab crown from last weekend on a northerly convex roll around 5800'. Depth of 30-50cms after being spun in by more recent snowfall. As I continued upward, I noticed that in addition to the NWAC reported D2.5 at 6200' on NE, the entire bowl had a spun in crown running across the slope, up to 300 meters wide at 6500', north aspect. This crown was easily 50cm deep, crossed rock bands and groups of trees, and likely ran mid-storm during the late February warm-up. I called the latter into NWAC staff (and a cornice fall across the highway on Nason Ridge), and moments later (est. 1600), I skinned into view of the reported skier-involved D2 avalanche on the false summit pyramid at 6500'. This hard slab avalanche was 1-1.5 meters deep at its peak, and ran 250-300' through trees, clearly D2 with evidence of a skier recovery. It broke at or around the early February Crust on descent, with multiple sets of tracks visible above the crown. Judging from the skintrack, it may have occurred after multiple parties had ascended the same slope, or maybe in the parties later runs after recycling the skintrack. It appears everyone made it out okay (party of three?) from the exit tracks. *Notably, multiple, wide-propagating avalanche crowns were observed on a PWL in late February 2021, ripping out many of these same features, and resulting in a burial/near miss mid-slope in the bowl. Jim Hill (and nearby Arrowhead) has a reputation as being low-commitment, low-hazard terrain, because one travels through forested slopes, eventually ending up in open bowls. This piece of real estate stands taller than anything immediately west of it on Stevens Pass, and catches wind and snow, so when there is poor structure and incremental loading, it hangs in the balance more than one might anticipate. No signs of instability noted beyond multiple recent and large avalanches.

Jim Hill

Quick report

Weather

Snowpack

Avalanche