Northern San Juan
AvalancheAnonymous · Dec 26, 2018 · Northern San Juan
Weather
Dropped into Nellie Mine at 12:40. Low visibility. Snowing above 10,000 feet. Top of Nellie Mine, Bear Creek Telluride. East facing and some slopes up to 45 degrees. 12,200 feet.
Snowpack
Snowpack was facets on facets. Hollow sounding and actually hollow underneath upon further inspection. Nellie Mine, East facing, 12,200 feet. Over a foot of new snow and a very punchy base with zero cohesion.
Avalanche
Rider 1 Triggered first slab avalanche at 12,200 feet, dropping into Nellie Mine Bear Creek. Crown was about a foot to two feet deep in places, propagating outward about 30 meters. Was able to get to the side of the slide and out of the path as it slid down to the valley floor 1000 feet below. Both riders cautiously rode down the avalanche path due to safety concerns until no longer possible, when the slide path came down another cliff at about 11,600 feet. Rider one slowly traversed to the nearest apex, predicting another slide to be a guarantee. Weighting the snowpack as he rode up to the apex, the snowpack fractured and broke away once again and slid to the valley floor, again. Crown was close to 2 feet deep and 20 meters wide. Large chunks were continuing to break away from the snowpack as we continued down. Both slides ran to the Valley Floor at 11,000 feet. Possibly both slides in the R2 D2 size category.