Gunnison

Avalanche

Crested Butte Avalanche Center · Feb 11, 2016 · Gunnison

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Weather

Weather: Clear skies, moderate NW wind, temps near 0F at start warming into teens by mid-morning

Snowpack

Snowpack: North aspects wind scoured and punchy to rock hard. Some collapsing and cracking on 30+ degree north-facing slopes near treeline. Skied variable snow in the main east-facing bowl from the high point above M face. Lots of wind impact in the bowl; rock hard but smooth in skier’s left half to punchy sastrugi in the skier’s right half.

Avalanche

Avalanches: Large natural spanning most of M face (NNE aspect); large natural running the length of the ridgeline on skier’s right side of the bowl we skied (ENE aspect); large natural below tree line along skin ridge (E aspect) that is obvious from the highway, with debris piles in the exit gully. Lots of others, including some small but surprisingly low angle pockets, along Gibson Ridge. **CBAC note: these slides ran around 2/1***