Front Range
AvalancheIan Fowler · Feb 13, 2024 · Front Range
Weather
Light to moderate westerly winds. Sunny and cool.
Snowpack
On westerly aspects, the snow was being stripped, which left behind soft, decomposing slabs and nice skiing. When I descended over to the east side of the mountain, firm slabs of wind-drifted snow were thickly plastered on this side of the mountain. On a northeast aspect, there was about 120cm to 150cm of snow. With a weak base, firm mid-pack, and two weak layers closer to the surface. These weak layers were rounding but propagating moderately easily on Extended Column Tests (ECT). Below treeline there was about 100cm to 150cm of snow. On southern aspects, the below treeline felt pretty locked up with a couple of stout melt-free crusts that were supporting my weight in boots and a strong mid-pack. When I moved to an easterly below treeline I got a collapse and dug close by and had very easy propagating results in ECTs down about 30cm on a layer of facets above a melt-freeze crust. The final surprise of the day was climbing back towards the ridge north of Mines Peak. I got multiple collapses on south and southeast slopes high in the alpine. I didn't have time to investigate, and nothing moved, but not what I was expecting.
Avalanche
I did not see any new avalanches, but there was a lot of older debris beneath Mines Peak's east face.