Aspen

Avalanche

Anonymous · Mar 16, 2018 · Aspen

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Weather

Started off cloudy and cool. Light wind from the SW which increased to moderate in the afternoon. Observed plumes on ridge lines of Willoughby/ Garretts. All but pure north was affected by the temps/ solar radiation.

Snowpack

5-7 inches of HST covering rocks on the Mad Goat entrance (yikes!) Mad goat W-SW was firm with the new snow on top. Pretty scoured and shallow out side of the gully. The skin up to Furry knob had more willows then normal, evidence of the low snow pack. Hand sheers on N aspect of Furry knob at 11,600. showed no clean sheers. The mid pack was strong and with probing we could feel the facets below. 160 HS. Observed isothermal snow near the river at 10,000 on West aspect as well as at 9,000ft.

Avalanche

We triggered some D1 sluffing in the surface snow in Mad goat. We noticed a number of LD D1 N on the Garrett's / Willoughby ridge on E-NE . We skied over the debris from the Garrets slide in February, it was big and fully filled the river, some piles were close to 20 ft deep.