Avalanche
- Slab Width
- 12 m
- Trigger Type
- Skier
- Vertical Fall
- 61 m
- Avalanche Type
- Dry Loose
- Trigger Detail
- Intentionally Triggered
- Start Zone Aspect
- Northeast
- Avalanche Problem
- New Snow
- Start Zone Elevation
- 2743 m
Our party skied the terrain west of the Blind Hollow Yurt today. We triggered multiple sluffs on our descent in steep terrain (>40 deg), NE aspect near 9000'. For the first 200' vertical, nearly everything I touched sluffed out. The new light snow was sliding on a crust, probably from 2/7.
I also saw evidence of a recent natural cycle - also dry, loose snow sluffs, on very steep slopes. It appeared fresh enough to have been from earlier today, but may have been from last Sunday/Monday's storm. the light was extremely flat and was difficult to determine from a distance. None of the photos I took were useable either.
Despite moderate wind gusts on the ridgeline we ascended, I was unable to find any substantial wind loaded areas. I did not find any cracking or collapsing in the new snow. Overall, winds were generally calm except in localized areas and on the highest ridgelines. 2-3" total new light density snow today.
Prior to the new snow, on 2/23, the vast majority of the terrain we travelled on had a substantial melt-freeze surface crust - both breakable and supportable. Many slopes were wet or moist during the peak sun mid-day. I searched for dry snow and only found it on true NW to NE aspects and along shady gully bottoms.