Sawatch
AvalancheJason Konigsberg · Jan 18, 2024 · Sawatch
Weather
Snowing up to an inch an hour in the morning, decreasing through the day with broken cloud cover by afternoon. Winds were from the west and effectively loading easterly-facing slopes. The drifting looked to also efficiently build cornices, increasing the chance that cornice failures can trigger for avalanches below.
Snowpack
A thick slab rests over very weak faceted crystals on top of a hard melt-freeze crust. The slab is 80 cm (32 in) thick and the weak layer below is a 10 cm thick layer of 2 to 3 mm faceted crystals on the crust. The weak layer is 25 to 35 cm from the ground. There is larger faceted crystals and depth hoar below the crust but the layer on top of the crust is the primary layer of concern. An extended column test yielded a result of ECTP26 in this layer. The snow depth in the area I traveled is between 100 to 120 cm where it isn't drifted. Active wind loading (see weather description) with top loading of east slopes and cross-loading of southerly slopes.
Avalanche
The visibility wasn't great for most of the day. There wasn't evidence of a widespread recent avalanche cycle, but recent is the key word as I am sure a lot of evidence has been covered up through the storm cycle. There were recent, fresh avalanches in the middle fork of Graham Gulch. One of which was at least D2.5 in size running from a few hundred feet below the ridge to the valley floor. I was able to make out a few other fresh crowns. It's hard to see if they were connected.