Gunnison

Snowpack

(Public) Crested Butte Avalanche Center · Jan 30, 2020 · Gunnison

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Weather

Clear skies; very light, northerly wind; very cold (inversion) at valley floor warming into the 20's on ascent.

Snowpack

Wind loaded east aspect HS 145cm; bottom 90cm 4F to F facets; 25cm 1F persistent slab on top of that; followed by 25cm soft slab (more recent snow); topped by a 5cm wind crust resting on possible surface hoar. CT29 with a sudden collapse at the ground. ECT did not produce any results in the upper portion of the snowpack or at the ground. We dug our pit in the deepest portion of the slope. Given the CT result, our main concern was collapsing the snowpack at the ground at a shallower point on the slope. Picture shows the slabs in the upper snowpack that seemed well bonded and fairly unreactive. Avoided the steepest portion of the slope and skied creamy, low-angle powder.