Gunnison
AvalancheEric Murrow/Evan Ross · Mar 16, 2025 · Gunnison
Weather
Moderate wind speeds with some transport at the near treeline location we traveled. Periods of intense transport at upper elevations during the day and into the evening. cloud cover: scattered; wind loading: moderate; snow avail for transport: moderate amounts
Snowpack
Recent storm totals ranged from about 1 foot near the trailhead to 2 feet near treeline. The shady side of east and northeast aspects appeared to be the most problematic, with 1-2mm facets resting above a crust near treeline. We walked above a few north features with no crust beneath the storm and didn't experience cracking or collapsing. Southerly aspects seemed to be well bonded with underlying crusts with shallow cracking on terrain features with ongoing drifting. The Storm Slab problem appears to have settled out over the past few days. Snow surfaces became moist on southerly aspects, but a Wet Loose avalanche problem did not rear its head outside of a few loose avalanches from steep, rocky, sunny features, which all remained small. Several moderate collapses beneath the recent storm snow on facets above a crust and one large collapse that released a nearby slope (east-northeast aspects). We traveled on small steep westerly features without signs of instability. Shallow cracking in the top few inches of windblown snow on leeward southerly features.
Avalanche
We triggered one avalanche remotely. Observed a handful of other natural avalanches along Schuylkill Ridge and a few small loose avalanches on steep, rocky, sunny slopes.