Gunnison

Snowpack

rwin Weather: High Temps 28F at 10,000 feet and mid teens at ridgetop (12,000 ft). Winds were light from the SW for most of the day, picking up to moderate this afternoon. Skies were clear with strong solar radiation. Snowpack: Storm snow was well settled with 6-12 inch ski penetration. Significant crusts were developed this morning on SE, S, & SW aspects which melted off by mid day and had some moist snow. Very few signs of instability while skiing with one large collapse around 11,900' West around some small kremholtz trees. A test Profile on a West, 11,700, 38 degrees revealed an HS of 105cm with mostly df's & small rounded grains and 10cm of depth hoar on the ground in only 1/3 of the profile. Much of the early season facets & depth hoar blew off this slope / zone during the 12-31-11 wind event. We got a repeatable ECTP 20, SC, Q2, 45 cm down at the storm snow interface (Feb 12th interface) on what were hard to see very small surface facets. Avalanche Activity: Explosives testing on Bender & Sonic, ESE, 40 degrees, 11,800' with no results. Mitigation on the Upper Upper Westwall, West Aspect ATL, produced several shallow slides 6-10" deep with ski cuts and explosives mostly size 1, with a few larger slides: 1. Skiers left of the Thread, West, 11,800', 45 degrees: SS-AE-R3-D1.5-O. This was triggered w/ a 3 lb. hand charge on a very steep rocky convex roll. 12-20" deep 80' wide and ran 600'. It ran on Old crust and faceted snow. 2.Castle Valley Right, West, 11,700' 40 degrees: SS-ASc-R3-D1.5-I. This was triggered by a ski cut on steep cross-loaded snow field and was 12-20 inches deep, 50' wide and ran 500' at the storm snow old snow interface (Feb 12th interface) probably on small surface facets. Same interface we saw ECTP's in our profile. 3. Round 2 right of Widow Maker, West 11,200', 38 degrees, HS-N-R3-D1.5-O. This was a natural that ran yesterday or 2 days ago. 30-40 inches deep, 20' wide and ran 200' on an old Crust in a convex pocket that has not seen any traffic this season.