Sawatch
AvalancheAnonymous · May 12, 2021 · Sawatch
Weather
Completely overcast for most of the day w slight, mostly northerly winds in the basin and periodic snow squalls throughout the day slightly adding to previous 4-6” of new snow over the prior 24 hours. Became calm and clear about an hour or before sunset, shortly before ski descent that triggered mini slab.
Snowpack
6ish” of low density new snow on top of a seemingly solidified snowpack crust (ie didn’t punch through on skis or boots beyond the the crust).
Avalanche
Lots of loose dry sluffs from the new snow sliding on the old crust that were easy to manage for a fairly slow, cautious skier expecting them given CAIC’s advisory and observations when skinning up the saddle (which eventually forced me to bootpack). Surprised by a small D1, R2/3 (at least for the width of the chute at the location - see pic - I don’t think it traveled too far around the corner, but hard to say due to the corner blocking my view and sluff debris ongoing after I rounded it myself) that propogated ahead of me and down the chute. Crown seemed to be a couple inches thick, so likely just the new snow. Unsure if my weight triggered it directly or a sluff I caused did so indirectly. Again, luckily I typically ski slowly in tight terrain like this so it slid mostly ahead of me and I wasn’t caught.