Northern San Juan

Snowpack

Rick Routh · Nov 17, 2013 · Northern San Juan

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Weather

Clear, 35 degs, wind 0 - 10 N

Snowpack

11/17 Sunday mid-day: New snow 12 - 14", lots of wind deposition on north and northeast ridge lines from previous day's SW winds. In US Basin, south side ridge, on the north exposure above tree line, skiers experienced settlement followed by a slab release off a nearby ridge. Slope was a 50 deg short steep ridge above a gentle gully. Size of slide was 175 ft wide and ran about 150 ft and stopped when it reached 15 deg slope of gully, near where 8 skiers were traversing to top of Backyard. No one caught, slide stopped 50' from nearest skier. Other NE exposure natural slides observed in US Basin and on Sam's Run that day, which had run the previous day of 11/16.