Gunnison
AvalancheBen Pritchett · Jan 3, 2025 · Gunnison
Weather
Warm with high thin clouds.
Snowpack
I measured less than a foot of recent storm snow below treeline. The upper snowpack above the December drought layer was too soft to support my weight - my ski penetration went nearly to the ground. Snowpack tests were ineffective without a slab. Wind-drifted slopes at higher elevations looked plump, and I expect you could easily trigger an avalanche where a cohesive slab formed from wind drifting.
Avalanche
No signs of a recent avalanche cycle on the western side of the Sawatch Range, nor in the Taylor Park area. I saw remnant cracks and two tiny bank slips where valley-floor drifting formed a localized slab.