Sawatch
AvalancheAnonymous · Apr 16, 2018 · Sawatch
Snowpack
Traveled from 10,400 to 13k feet on mostly easterly slopes. The snow surface was supportable to skis at all elevations traveled. Although the snow was warming earlier in the day, thickening clouds in the afternoon quickly re-froze the surface snow. No wet avalanche problems were observed.---Winds were very strong at ridgetop, with no snow being transported. We didn't observe reactive wind slabs but also weren't on many steep above-treeline slopes.---My main concern traveling in the Sawatch is Persistent Slab avalanches. I would be very tentative and possibly avoid northerly slopes and I also am traveling much differently than the deeper snowpack areas of the VS zone.
Avalanche
Numerous avalanches from 4/8/18, most of which have been documented.