Aspen
AvalancheDylan Craaybeek, Brian Lazar · Jan 19, 2023 · Aspen
Weather
Cold, clear morning 19F at 9:30 at the Independence Pass trailhead warming up to 24F by 14:00 at the trailhead. Cloud cover increased to Scattered by 11:00 and Broken by 12:00 with thin clouds moving in from the west and a Light westerly breeze with some snow transport visible at ridgeline nearby.
Snowpack
The snowpack around Upper Lost Man trailhead appears to be the most dangerous snowpack in the Central Mountains with a two to three foot cohesive and relatively homogenous slab on top of well-developed two to three millimeter depth hoar crystals. A poor snowpack structure, unstable scores in snowpack tests, and large, rumbling collapses with shooting cracks traveling hundreds of feet confirm the dangerous conditions in this area. Westerly slopes near and above the treeline are around 90-120cm deep with the slab mostly 1F to 4F hard on the hand hardness scale while easterly aspects are 110-140cm deep with a P hard to 1F hard slab. Above the treeline westerly slopes were mostly wind-scoured to bare ground with continuous snow on those aspects mostly isolated to couloirs and gullies.
Avalanche
Multiple avalanches observed along the ridgeline of Independence Mountain and coded in this observation: https://classic.avalanche.state.co.us/caic/obs/obs_report.php?obs_id=73863 and in Mountain Boy Gulch coded here: https://classic.avalanche.state.co.us/caic/obs/obs_report.php?obs_id=73864