Gunnison
SnowpackCrested Butte Avalanche Center · Apr 14, 2013 · Gunnison
Weather
Weather was overcast, >s1, cool and not above freezing, light winds.
Snowpack
Wind affection obvious on northerly aspects. Dug a pit on E aspect with possible wind loading. Slope was approx 35 degrees, HS 315 cm. New snow was about 40 - 50 cm on top of a rain crust that could have developed at the beginning of this storm. That sat on about 20 cm of 1F snow on top of the dust layer. Strong midpack (1F) below dust layer with one pencil/knife hard layer in the middle. Did not dig to basal facets. Column tests failed in new storm snow, but significant test failed at CT13 below the dust layer on that pencil/knife layer 80-90 cm from the surface with a Q2 shear. Skied east aspect here with no incident, but would have avoided a more 'alpine route' given these test results. Surface sloughing while skiing consistent with failures in new storm snow shown in column test. Skied a couple other aspects with no incidents.