Front Range
AvalancheEric Tollund · Jan 12, 2016 · Front Range
Weather
Generally few clouds with moderate to intense wind from WNW
Snowpack
Obvious newly formed windslabs on E and NE aspects that were very reactive.
Avalanche
Hard slab natural and skier triggered (remote) Description from Avanet: This hard slab avalanche was remotely triggered as two skiers traversed a small terrain feature adjacent to the small bowl where it released. Skier one was making a kick step while skinning and upon making the turn he felt a slight "change" in the slope. Skier two then heard the sound and alerted skier one to the slide fracturing and propagating to their left on the adjacent slope appx 60m away. We also triggered a small 10mx10m hard slab as we traversed above a small terrain feature and discovered a presumably natural slide of the same characteristics and size and aspect on another slope. It appeared that the intense wind transport of recent snow had been forming into reactive slabs on these loaded, leeward, terrain features and were very touchy today.