Front Range

Snowpack

On Saturday, we had three rather large whumps while skinning up First Creek towards Zero Creek in the Berthoud Pass area. South and southeast aspects, between 10,750’ and 11,250’. We were also getting small sluffs in Second Creek (north aspect) and First Creek (east aspect). Also, there was an avalanche below the Monolith in First Creek – I’d guess it ran around Thursday. WS-N-R3-D2. East aspect, roughly 10,750’. It may have been caused by a small avalanche or cornice collapse from high up on the Monolith – it was too cloudy for us to tell – but whatever fell caused an additional crown in the apron below the Monolith. 2-3’ crown, probably 50’ wide and (for the portion in the apron, ran 150’ vertical. Just as a passing note, on Sunday on Jones Pass, the new snow was getting really heavy and soggy, even on north aspects. It didn’t seem well bonded to the crust below, but the new snow was not slabby.