Front Range
AvalanchePatrick Ward · May 20, 2015 · Front Range
Weather
Nokhu Crags, north facing aspect, 11,500 to 12,300 feet. No wind was noted, but occasional cloud cover increased towards noon as convective activity started. We encountered near whiteout conditions on peak at noon with no wind and very slow moving storms. Temperatures were warm enough in the sun for t-shirts but cold in the shade. Temperatures and visibility deteriorated as convective activity rolled in, but at the parking lot we were back in t-shirts. Note, the parking lot and CO 14 was ice-covered when we arrived (6am) as if there had been an ice-storm at Cameron Pass. We skied in on ice but walked out on gravel.
Snowpack
Under North facing cliffs at 12,000 feet snow pack was 160cm. Multiple well bonded layers were evident with multiple rain/melt crusts, approximately ever 25cm. We did not dig to the ground. There was no evidence of instability. Top layer was not wet but was consolidated. We skied recently sluffed lines as those provided the most stability. At ridge wind loading was evident.
Avalanche
No new avalanches were noted but every couloir in the cirque had slid at some point. Most new snow had sluffed off after the Mother's Day storm. Serious avalanches were largely buried under later storms.