Vail & Summit County
AvalancheAnonymous · Dec 17, 2020 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
Ridge line wind gust were up to 30mph at 12,000ft. Winds blowing from the west to east. Mostly cloudy all day.
Snowpack
The wind has blown 40-50 cm of fresh snow onto the weak facets of the east face. We saw little cracking in our steps. When we dug our pit, we noticed an ultra weak layer of hoar just beneath the new fresh snow. Touching this layer with our hands was enough to release the snow on top so we knew anything East Face would be a red flag to ski. Our day immediately turned into an observation day, instead of a powder day.
Avalanche
As we were traversing south towards Grouse mountain on the ridge line, about 15 feet below me at the roll over, an avalanche broke off to the east. Avalanche was about 30 feet wide and traveled about 150 yards. Slope angle was around 30-35 degrees. R2 D2.