Steamboat & Flat Tops

Avalanche

CMC AIARE Lvl 1 · Jan 29, 2023 · Steamboat & Flat Tops

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Weather

Moderate west southwest winds today drifting snow onto Lee aspects. Temps stayed in the teens. Skies were overcast to obscured at times. Precip rates up to S2-S3 observed

Snowpack

Dug on east and north east aspects. Snow 200-240cms. CT produced fractures at 30, 40, 55, 65, and 80cms deep with upper layers failing in easy to moderate loading and deeper layers failing on hard loading steps. All of our ECTs failed on similar layers but did not propagate. Snow seemed a little less reactive than previous day.

Avalanche

D1 natural 20-30cm crown, east aspect, 8800ft, failed 1/29. 6 to 8 D1 naturals on mostly west facing, unsupported cliffs along Elk River road. All failing 20-30cms down. Some up to 50m wide. Edges of all slides muted so they must have failed late 1/28 or early 1/29 during the midst of the storm. No visibility into any larger terrain features to confirm any other slides.