Front Range
AvalancheDale Atkins · Nov 26, 2016 · Front Range
Weather
Torreys Peak, Kelso (east) Ridge, top of Dead Dog, 14,000 ft. Mild: clear skies, ridge/mountain top winds SW/15-20 G30+, temps mid 20s.
Snowpack
Front Range: Stevens Gulch to Torreys Pk, ~12,300 to 14,300 -- generally spotty and very thin, but up to 2' in drifted spots. Conditions found: • bare ground (basically E-S-W aspects) • thin and faceted (sugar snow) • soft (stiffer) slabs up to 1 ft on top of facets/sugar snow • very hard wind affected, aged snow but turning into facets -- Hard slabs likely do exist on high elevation wind drifted areas but avoided those spots.
Avalanche
One older slide -- Most likely Thanksgiving Day (11/24) -- Dead Dog Couloir. • Aspect: NE (couloir faces generally east but NE-facing side of gully released • Elev: 14,000 ft • SZ angle: ~40º • SS-N-R2-O/G, released on an old snow layer but scoured to dirt/rock in places in track • 50' wide x 1' deep • confined to erosion gully -- ran almost full length of erosion gully • ~1300' vertical