Aspen
AvalancheMorgan Boyles · Jan 7, 2018 · Aspen
Snowpack
11,400' 11:00am NTL: Ski cut produced shooting cracks and woomph on small 30* E facing slope below a ridge. The collapse occurred in the stiff snow from last week's wind event. 10,450' BTL: HS ~80cm mostly cohesionless facets and faceting snow with 10cm of new snow from the 1/6/18 storm on top. No slab was present below tree line. This lack of any structure in the snowpack gave a "bottomless sand box" feeling that was difficult for all of our group to ski.
Avalanche
10,560' 1:10pm BTL: McFarlane's N facing trees (skier's right of happy face). Two AS/u D 1.5 facet sloughs triggered in 35*+ trees. The largest of these was triggered by a falling skier, piled debris one meter deep on a road cut, and broke down to the ground.