Quick report
- Cracking
- isolated
- Collapsing
- isolated
An April Fools' persistent weak layer strikes again! Today we observed many signs of unstable snow.
- While traveling a ridgeline we experienced 5 audible collapses. These collapses occurred on a north-facing ridgeline above 5500 feet.
- We experienced localized and shooting cracks.
- We intentionally and unintentionally triggered small and large avalanches above 6500 feet. Triggered avalanches were on west, north, and east-facing slopes.
- The avalanche we unintentionally triggered was triggered from a 32-degree ridge. The collapse occurred while taking one step off of the ridge. This avalanche propagated 600 feet wide and wrapped around multiple aspects.
- The crown height of this slab averaged one foot thick. The thickest section was just shy of three feet.
- Observed natural avalanche activity on east and south-facing slopes across the canyon. These avalanches appeared large (D2).
Avalanches failed on a layer of near-surface facets that formed during our extended period of high pressure.
photos video soon.
Weather
- Cloud Cover
- overcast
- Wind Loading
- light
- Recent Snowfall
- 10
- Snow Avail For Transport
- small smounts
Light winds with moderate gusts today.
Avalanche
- Size
- D2 R3
- Type
- SS
- Count
- 4
- Aspect
- E
- Trigger
- AS
- Elevation
- 6500 ft
Triggered this while walking a 33 degree ridgeline. This slab wrapped from an east facing aspect all the way around to a west facing aspect. Moving debris pushed me downhill approximately 15 feet.