Northern San Juan

Avalanche

Anonymous · Dec 25, 2021 · Northern San Juan

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Weather

Mostly clear. Below freezing. Location: As per map location above Aspect: East Facing Elevation: 11,000ish -- see map location

Snowpack

Continental. Location: As per map location above Aspect: East Facing Elevation: 11,000ish -- see map location

Avalanche

D2 avalanche. Ran approximately 500 feet. 3ft crown. 100ft wide at the crown 200ft wide at the widest point. Party of three. One skier two snowboarders. Skier riding 2nd in order triggered avalanche above snowboarder in questionable safety in light trees below. Snowboarder caught and fully buried 3ft deep face down in scorpion position feet over head. Buried snowboarder located and airway was cleared within approximately 5 minutes (best guess). Unconscious and breathing lightly. Regained full consciousness relatively quickly when airway was cleared (1-2 minutes). Buried snowboarder sustained minor injuries and was able to ride out under his own power. Location: As per map location above Aspect: East Facing Elevation: 11,000ish -- see map location