Sawatch

Avalanche

walker lutz · Jan 10, 2022 · Sawatch

View on map

Weather

Clear skies, temp mid 20's, Little to no wind SE Facing aspect of Buckeye Peak Approx 11,000 ft elevation.

Snowpack

Windslab up higher on the face. Depth Hoar present. After the slide we preformed a extended column test 30cm deep x 90cm wide. It failed after 10 wrist taps, 10 elbow blows, and 3 shoulder blows. It failed about 3' down where the snow became faceted. The top 3' was very cohesive with little to no weak layers.

Avalanche

Avalanche was on an SE facing slope. About 100 yards wide ran about 400 yards. Crown was up to 6' deep.