Gunnison

Snowpack

Crested Butte Avalanche Center · Jan 25, 2013 · Gunnison

View on map

Weather

WEATHER: Obscured, misty, light snow, warm and humid, light SW wind on ridge top wind. S-1 most of the day with periods of S1 just afternoon. Waited for that partly sunny to ski the alpine, but never got it.

Snowpack

SNOWPACK: Thin rime crust at all elevations, all aspects. Wet atmosphere seemed to be translating to the snow, especially below 11,000'. Some areas had older supportive wind custs up to 10cm thick, some areas were breakable, some areas all faceted. Large facets below everything. Upper 6cm became wet below 10,500 in the afternoon making for weird skiing with wet on top and large dry facets below. Skied WSW from 12,000'. Soft facet skiing or supportive, soft, edgable crust skiing. Low angle trees below 11,000 skied really nice. Skied NE facing 40° slope with one bigger facet sluff. Decent skiing but the trees need covering.