Northern San Juan
AvalancheBrian Gstein · Apr 22, 2016 · Northern San Juan
Weather
Mostly Sunny, thin clouds from 10am onwards turning into convective scattered. High temps, probably in the 40's above 12,000 feet by noon.
Snowpack
Solar aspects have sluffed rollerballs and wet point releases that have run their course. Appeared that the potential for more temp induced releases will happen on North/shaded aspects. Many descents will be made challenging due to the copious debris. Everything felt locked up in the am on S and, E aspects, with ski pen less than 5cm most of the time. Things getting sloppy and borderline trapdoor on all aspects BTL by noon. High shaded aspects still holding settled powder. Most of the solar releases looks to be on a buried dust layer.
Avalanche
Skier triggered point releases at top of Sultan that turned into long running wet slides at 10:45am. Slide initiated in east facing terrain rounding a corner into north facing couloir. (2) D1's triggered that ran with some speed and distance traveling 1000 feet + to the runnout of the couloir. 10 feet wide at the top spreading to 50 feet wide down low. Glad we pulled out of the way.