Gunnison
AvalancheBriant Wiles · Feb 17, 2019 · Gunnison
Snowpack
Noted a significant, and possibly skier triggered, R4-D1 avalanche on a NE aspect at 8,000 ft. There was a natural avalanche cycle at the lower elevations around the City of Gunnison (7,700) following the heavy wet snow on 2/15. Many steep slopes just above Tomichi Creek went naturally on 2/15-2/16. This low elevation "sage zone" has accumulated enough snow this winter to start thinking avalanche problems. When there is enough snow around several local slopes will see skier traffic. The smaller and shallower slide looker right (see photos) I noted on 2/16. On 2/16 there were around 2 inches of new snow and noted strong sustained winds out of the west with a lot of visible snow transport. The slid from a distance showed three tracks in. On a closer inspection there where three tracks in and out. A quick beacon search confirmed this. If natural, it failed sometime in the late afternoon on the 2/16 but can't rule out the possibility of it skier trigged from the shallow, lookers left of the cross loaded slope.
Avalanche
500ft crown up to 110cm deep, ran 400 vertical feet. A quick look at the crown showed a HS of 195cm. Didn't have much time to investigate, noted several weak interfaces of what looked like NSF. The start zone was in the low 30 degrees with noted exception of a few steeper rollovers. Due to the low angle much of the volume didn't move very far remaining in large blocks. The lower portion of the track steepens to around 38 degrees. Debris enough to bury a person piled up at the bottom.