Gunnison

Avalanche

Ben Pritchett · Nov 26, 2019 · Gunnison

Weather

Chilly, overcast, and windy

Snowpack

Very weak structure overall. Biggest concern is triggering a Persistent Slab avalanche that would break near the ground in large depth hoar. Easterly-facing slopes with drifting have the most volume and most well-developed slab structure, hence greatest hazard. Above 11,000 feet the slab is just barely cohesive enough to propagate a short distance in wind-sheltered but connected terrain. At lower elevations there's not enough stiffness in the slab to be a concern. Besides the October Depth Hoar (capped with Surface Hoar), there's another weak layer worth noting. I found very large Surface Hoar beneath the current storm snow on many slopes. This layer was very touchy, but only breaking 15-20cm deep so it posed no danger at the moment. The crystals are strangely crispy, so it may remain more durable - we'll have to watch it over time. In this area, I could not find a place where I would be able to trigger a Wind Slab avalanche that did not have a persistent weak layer below.

Avalanche

Watched another party nearby trigger a small slab in a steep roll in widely spaced forest.