Sawatch
AvalancheJeremy Primmer · Feb 18, 2022 · Sawatch
Weather
Clear skies with just a few clouds. We watched blowing snow most of the day at ridge tops but the loading was ineffective. Temperatures were cold in the morning and by mid-afternoon southerly surfaces had started to moisten.
Snowpack
We headed out to find a recipe for an avalanche; we found all of the right ingredients but not in the same locations. Near treeline and below, we found a weak snow surface and weak snow for the top 30cm. We dug pits on west, south, and northeast, and all had facets sandwiched between crusts or thin wind slabs, but we did not find enough of a slab structure that could result in avalanches. Above treeline, the snow surface is much more wind affected. We found stiff but shallow wind slabs deposited onto a very firm bed surface and were unable to find anywhere these slabs were sitting on a weak layer that would make them reactive. We saw a few recent smaller avalanches (D1-1.5) on east-facing slopes above treeline, but we covered a lot of ground and were surprised at the lack of activity.
Avalanche
We saw some small slab avalanches during the ride. All were above treeline on easterly-facing slopes. We covered a lot of ground and were surprised at how little activity had occurred.