Gunnison

Avalanche

(Public) Crested Butte Avalanche Center · Jan 21, 2020 · Gunnison

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Weather

Sunny and cool. Little wind. Strong solar.

Snowpack

HS variable from 70cm to 120cm along route. Snow generally supportive to skis, except in willows at creek bottoms. Snow surface soft and consistent. Significant wind drifts along W facing drainage features. Ski pen 30 – 50cm, boot pen to the ground with few exceptions. Experienced two, big, rumbling collapses as we skied through low angle sagebrush meadows at 9300? – 9,600?, S – SW aspect. No cracking. Pole probe at site of collapses indicated 50/50 snowpack – upper half storm snow, lower half cohesionless depth hoar, separated by a stout MF crust. In the low angle terrain we traversed, best travel was along or on top of wind drifts. Had to stay light on your feet on the down to prevent a facet facial.

Avalanche

none observed