Gunnison

Snowpack

Less than 0.25 miles from trailhead, noticed an old slide along skin/dog track emanating from the hill east side of trail on west facing slope. Slope is a dense blue spruce forest. Slope deposited debris along 40% of the track up to first Forest Service Road to the east of the main road. These slides occurred on slopes up to 48 degrees and originated on rock reef at the top of the hillslope, 300 feet above the valley bottom. Slide took snow down to the ground (SS-R3/R4-D2-N see pic). On the way back to the car a resident said he hadn't seen this much of this slide path slide like it did in 20 years. Hiked up to trail to the Caves and noticed all gullies facing east and west of the road had slid. Two different slides crossed the valley but didn't travel up the opposite slope. Branches in one of the slides were 3 meters high. Dug a pit at botttom of aspens on west facing slope with steepness of 27 degrees. Height of snow 108 cm. Top 2 cm was a rain crust, which became creamy at the end of the pit analysis. Air temperature was 40 degrees farenheit. Bottom 56 mm had 2 to 6 mm depth hoar. Tests: extended column (EXTN28 Q3 at 85 cm on 1 to 2mm snow crystals) and Compression Test (CT12 Q1- at 28 mm on 4 to 6mm depth hoar). Upon finishing pit, saw pin wheel had come down on the east facing slope on opposite side of the valley. This area is in a narrow canyon, used by cross country skiers and dog walkers.