Sawatch

Avalanche

Max Forgensi · Jan 1, 2021 · Sawatch

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Weather

Partly sunny. Calm winds

Snowpack

Widespread shooting cracks and whumpfing near treeline. Fewer signs of instability BTL though we did have one collapse on a steep gully wall.

Avalanche

Widespread avalanche cycle on the east side of Independence Pass on 12/28/21. About 10 to 20 avalanches with a few greater than D2. We remotely triggered an avalanche today from a low angle shoulder. The avalanche ran on an east-facing near treeline slope. It broke about 3 ft deep on faceted snow. At the start, it was about 75 feet wide. As it ran it broke wider (about 250 feet) at a mid-slope rollover.