Gunnison

Avalanche

Zach Guy · Apr 16, 2016 · Gunnison

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Weather

Mild temps. Overcast skies. S-1 with minimal accumulations through the day. Light west winds, with previous wind transport from the east.

Snowpack

Below treeline, 4-6″ of moist new snow over a weak refreeze (2″ crust that was supportive to skis but unsupportive to boots, above wet grains) Near/above treeline, the new snow was slabbier in places due to wind effects, with drifts up to 12″ thick from easterly windloading patterns, poorly bonded to a stout and supportive refreeze.

Avalanche

On SE aspects near treeline, we intentionally skier triggered 3 soft slabs, ranging from 4″-12″ thick. They ran 1,300 feet on the crusty storm interface, large enough to injure you if you got caught. SS-ASc-R1-D1.5-I