Sawatch

Avalanche

Mike Cooperstein, Scott Toepfer · Mar 3, 2017 · Sawatch

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Weather

The Hoosier Pass snotel at 11,400' was 38 degrees at noon. Did not feel that warm, but it was nice especially with a strong cold biting north wind. Bluebird. Some clouds way south over the Sangre de Cristos.

Snowpack

Cold snow when we started skinning at 9 AM. South aspects. ATL more or less scoured and/or polished to the ridge crest which has seen the usual very big convex wind drift & cornice features develop. By the time we were skiing out at about 1:30 PM the snow surface was getting moist on west and south aspects. Wetting front was not having much impact on the 2-4" melt freeze crust though. Area is active after Hn + N wind event. Did the same at our 2/28-3/1 storm producing a HSNR2D2O. West and north aspects were fairly scoured of snow, especially above TL. North and northwest NTL had around a meter of faceted snow structure. A NE aspect of Mt Lincoln, NTL, had a recent large HSNR2D2O just climbers right of Lincoln Ice. ~7-800 ft wide, 500 vertical. Impressive propagation.

Avalanche

Saw several avalanches which ran on-or-around the February 28 to March 1 storm and north wind cycle. Two in Sawatch zone (Mosquitos) and one in Tractor Bowl on north side of Hoosier Pass.