Sawatch

Avalanche

Ian Hoyer · Dec 16, 2015 · Sawatch

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Weather

Chilly day. Windy on ridgeline, but wasn't windy just a couple hundred feet off the ridge.

Snowpack

No slab below treeline: weak, faceted, unsupportable snow. Slab developed near treeline. Soft slab just below treeline, pencil hard slab just above. ~50cm snow depth in non-wind loaded near treeline: 25cm windslab over 25cm facets. Dug in a wind loaded spot NTL (also seemed representative of spots holding snow ATL). Found HS 120 cm, pencil hard crust, ECTP23 on midpack facets, ECTP27 at top of depth hoar. All slopes holding snow near and above treeline had a stiff slab.

Avalanche

Very small Wind Slab avalanche. Marginally more than a cornice collapse.