Sawatch

Avalanche

Ben Pritchett · Jan 2, 2019 · Sawatch

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Weather

Bluebird, sneaky east winds loaded steadily late morning through mid-afternoon.

Snowpack

Dramatic difference in snow structure in the Alpine versus once in the forest. Much weaker surfaces and generally right-side-up below treeline. Alpine has a nasty combination of slabs and facets, with a widespread facet layer below the Christmas storm. It appears this facet layer responsible for several avalanches in the areas.

Avalanche

Went to visit a reported avalanche on pk 13,189'. Found several more, including a surprise natural that ran around 1pm on January 2nd on a due west aspect near 12,400'.