Vail & Summit County

Avalanche

Chase Quant · Nov 27, 2018 · Vail & Summit County

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Weather

Clear cool morning, light winds until 1130. Wind speed and cloud coverage increasing during pit excavation. Sun was intense and shrunk the surface hoar near and above treeline by descent. Saw large amounts of snow being transported onto the NW side of Crystal and Pacific near the summits.

Snowpack

Large, 3-5mm SH widespread near TH <TL Dug a quick Test pit at the top of Gold Hill above Mayflower Gulch Cabins. Approx. 5 ft before windloaded roll off ridge. Elevation: 12,000. Aspect: NE, Slope 10º, HS 135 . Top 17cm F hard, then P to ground, except 1mm layer of FC layer @ 29cm. CT (22) SC @ 29cm-up. Due to lengthly excavation time, I only gathered a small amount of data.

Avalanche

Saw multiple small slides along steep, above TL on S side of Fremont Pass. Mainly N to E aspects. One small slide was on a W facing aspect below tree line in an opening of trees, maybe 35º, near a cross-loaded convexity.