Sawatch
AvalancheJason Konigsberg · Jan 24, 2021 · Sawatch
Weather
A mix of everything. Short burst of snow. Full cloud cover and then lots of sun.
Snowpack
Fully faceted snowpack below treeline. It was hard to stay on the surface while skinning uphill. Open areas were a bit more supportable but I would sink into the snow anywhere close to a tree. Near treeline the snowpack changes. The snowpack increases in depth from about 80 cm to about 130 cm. There is strongish mid-pack slab with weak snow beneath. The avalanches I investigated broke 40 cm above the ground on 2 mm faceted crystals. Older depth hoar beneath is much harder, though the avalanche did gouge it out in a few places.
Avalanche
The avalanches I investigated are coded in observation 64165. My best guess is that this pair of avalanches was triggered remotely by skiers in low-angle terrain. The tracks and bed surface of the avalanche looked to be the same age. The avalanches broke in terrain that is not very steep with a slope angle of low 30s and breaking into upper 20s. The terrain in this area is pretty limiting for larger avalanches. These avalanches demonstrate the hazard near treeline as you transition from soft, unconsolidated snow below treeline to thicker slabs near treeline.