Gunnison
AvalancheMarian Krogh · Jan 28, 2022 · Gunnison
Weather
Cold. Below zero that morning. -2f at Tagert Hut Windy. Guessing 60mph once at 13000f. Aspect: Mostly NE-NW facing slopes
Snowpack
Overall significant difference between above and below treeline snowpack. Above treeline wind affected/scoured and thinner. Below treeline, powdery and great skiing.
Avalanche
Shooting cracks across the full Montezuma Basin as we skinned at about 12500feet. Approximately NE facing. About 6 inches of wind deposited snow forming a stiffer top layer. No actual slides. Small natural avalanche on the NE face of Hidden Valley/Castle Peak. Size R1 D1. About 2-3 feet deep. (Avalanche coded here: https://avalanche.state.co.us/caic/obs/obs_report.php?obs_id=69352 ) Two large natural avalanches which occurred between 4pm on the 27th and 9am on the 28th in the Pearl Pass area. First One on the NNW aspect at the very top of Copper Creek. At least 500feet wide across the top of Pearl Pass ridge stepping down to old rotten layers near the ground. About 12500f elevation. Crown estimated to be 10 feet as seen from about 1-2 miles away. Second one on the aprons of the ridge/peak the extends to the north between pearl pass and Star peak. Propagating past several rocky ridges. Both running all the way to the bottom of the steeper slopes. Sorry photos are of poor quality due to the distance and shade. Trying to get a few other photos from different team members to add.