Quick report
- Collapsing
- specific
Tuesday after Monday's storm I went into the bowl with a friend with a cautions plan to try and ski the recent storm. After taking our time to evaluate the snow pack through observations in the bowl and a snow pit. We decided to ski chicken rock gully. The day was calm with low winds and good visibility. We did not see any signs of avalanche danger. On Wednesday morning another group went to ski the snowfields on Lions Head hiking trail area. Another area with soft snow, low winds and no signs of avalanche activity. We skied the snowfield, headed down right gully and out of the bowl. Seeing no signs of avalanche danger. On Thursday morning, I went with a partner to climb Pinnacle gully and ski out right gully. Having to post hole through waist deep snow to reach the climb, we saw signs of avalanche activity from Central. Pitch 2-3 of Pinnacle was waist deep snow climbing to reach an anchor. Topping out into a strong wind in the snowfields we traversed over to right gully and skied out the bowl. Seeing no signs of avalanche danger. Friday morning, I headed up into the bowl solo to ski chicken rock gully before work. Reaching he bowl at sunrise and skiing the line shortly after 7am. At the base of the bowl the visibility increased and I saw a crown line in Chute North. I put my skins back on and headed up to take a photo. The wind had been steady that morning, moving snow around and covering the skin track up chicken rock an filling in old ski tracks on it. After taking a photo of the crown line, I looked for a spot to transition. Seeing a flat spot, in the sun I skinned out of the debris field and onto firmer snow. After a few steps I heard a loud whoomf and slide to the base of the ravine. Landing on top of the snow and walked out. I am sharing all this information to show the shaping of my thought process of my route Friday morning. I had confidence in the snowpack from the past days that the route I wanted to take was fine. I lost a pair of skis and poles but walked away uninjured. Signs of recent avalanches in Chute North. Wind had been increasing from the day before into this morning. Wind was transporting snow on the ridge line. Ski was breaking through top layer 4-5 inch stiffer slab onto softer snow
Weather
- Air Temp
- low teens
- Cloud Cover
- few
- Wind Loading
- moderate
- Recent Snowfall
- none
- Snow Avail For Transport
- large amounts
Cold temperatures and calm winds throughout the week left snow from the recent storm light and unsettled. As winds picked up yesterday and today, this snow was readily available for transport and was blowing around the base of ravine and visibly on the ridgeline.
Snowpack
4-5 of harder snow over softer snow. Thin early season snow pack.
Avalanche
- Size
- D1.5 R1
- Aspect
- E
- Trigger
- AS
- Elevation
- 4800 ft
I was skinning up the avy debris field from a recent slide in Chute north to get a photo of the crown line. After reaching a high point, I headed to a flat spot to transition. This spot was on a flat surface out of the debris field. While skinning over, the snow changed to firmer snow over soft. A loud whoomf above my head was heard. The snow beneath my feet started to move and I was carried 200-300 feet to the base of the ravine. Landing on top of the snow, uninjured, I walked out of the zone.