Quick report
- Cracking
- specific
- Collapsing
- specific
Today was a day that made us sick to our stomach. 2 out of 3 steep slopes we traveled near avalanched. Both avalanches failed 2 to 3 feet deep and would have been unscapable if caught. Needless to say we didn't touch any slopes steeper than 30 degrees and eliminated the threat of overhead hazards by never getting off the ridgeline.
- We felt 4 collapses. All were puckering despite being ontop of a ridge.
- We triggered two avalanches. One of the avalanches we triggered from about 100 yards away. The second avalanche was triggered by booting around at lunch. (more info in avalanche tab)
- We observed 3 natural slab avalanches from past 24 hours (see avalanche tab)
- 4 inches of new snow at the parking lot. Roughly 10 inches of new/recent snow at 6000 feet.
- Winds were light, though we observed active wind transport along the crest of the Flathead in the afternoon.
Weather
- Cloud Cover
- broken
- Wind Loading
- light
- Recent Snowfall
- 20
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
Mostly cloudy skies with stretches of sun. Temps warmed throughout the day. During the exit we noticed rollerballs and skied out on hot powder below 5500 feet. Truck read 43 degrees at canyon floor.
Snowpack
We dug one snowpit adjacent to a audible collapse.
6000 ft on a NE aspect: ECTP21 down 65 cm. We jumped up and down above the snow out to try to video a collapse. We initiated a collapse that remotely triggered an avalanche.
Avalanche
- Size
- D1.5
- Type
- L
- Count
- 5
- Aspect
- E
- Trigger
- N
- Elevation
- 8000 ft
Observed three natural slab avalanches that occurred in the past 24 hours. We triggered two large avalanches. One was triggered remotely, from about 100 yards away. No one was caught or carried.