Steamboat & Flat Tops

Avalanche

Brian Gardel · Jan 24, 2021 · Steamboat & Flat Tops

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Weather

Calm and mostly sunny. Temps at the start of our tour were 10F at 8am at the trailhead and rising to 20F by noon.

Snowpack

Toured NE-E aspects 9300-10300ft. HS 120-140cm with 40cm settled storm snow from the past 72hrs. Strong W/SW winds sculpted fresh wind lips. Lots of cracking on E aspects. Reactive instability tests on NE (ECTP22 SP @ 60cm from surface) with the block jumping out of the snowpit on a 30* slope.

Avalanche

Friends skiing an adjacent slope remotely triggered a small soft slab 15" deep by 100'x300' from 50ft away (see pics). Nobody got caught.