Gunnison

Snowpack

Josh Hirshberg · Mar 3, 2012 · Gunnison

Weather

Wx: Partly cloudy skies and cold air temps. Moderate gusts of NW valley wind.

Snowpack

Toured from the Maroon Hut in Gothic up SW aspen glades above the town site. Spx: Widespread collapsing. Some rumbling collapses. On SW slopes and flat meadows. HS ranged from 60-135cm. Crust formed 2/29 under last storm was reactive. DH not prevalent due to early January warm spell that melted all the snow on these SW slopes. See Profile Avy Obs: -Lots of sluffing on the E face of Gothic occurring throughout the day. - SS-N-R3-D3-O/G. Ran 3/1 or 3/2. 11,600ft. Ran 2000ft. Crown roughly 1000ft across. A very large and unique slide on an E side of Gothic Mtn up valley from the townsite. Seems to have a initiated on a loaded S aspect of a bowl, then propagated around to an E facing unsupported slope. Ran over cliffs and through a large bench to the valley floor. Gothic caretaker said he hasnâ€™t seen this slide in the past 3 or 4 years.