Sawatch

Avalanche

Rich Rogers · Dec 11, 2021 · Sawatch

View on map

Weather

From gate closure up to old snotel site was calm, sunny but cool. Below freezing but was pleasant. Near old snotel(11,200ft) site breeze became gusty across NW-N aspects, had to put another layers on. Most peaks and ridges had plumes of snow blowing across or extending far away from them all day ATL.

Snowpack

Still shallow BTL, little to no slab in sheltered areas BTL lots of willows and rocks barely covered. Found slabs forming higher up but still BTL in open areas where wind has drifted snow. Skin track depth increased with elev. gain. Hardness and thickness of slabs increased NTL through ATL(12,200ft). Experienced two collapses N, NTL, no shooting cracks. Skiing was decent in sheltered terrain less than 30º slope angle.

Avalanche

Many naturals on N-NE-E aspects that held old snow and received new snow followed by wind loading in the last 24hrs.