Gunnison
SnowpackCrested Butte Avalanche Center · Feb 10, 2013 · Gunnison
Weather
Wx: light overcast skies in the am with intermittent sunlight, t-shirts on the RL uphill skin until we got above the trees, when the winds picked up slightly. Clouds growing more dense throughout the afternoon but no precip to speak of. Light winds all day.
Snowpack
Snowpack: Didn't appear to be any significant new snow overnight. At top of Redwell, firm near the ridgeline, clear wind affect up high, but softened up the further you got down. Great skiing the lower you went to the valley floor. About 4' total depth in the basin. Hit a southern aspect around noon, uphill, which had not yet turned wet except in very shallow areas around trees. About a 2" suncrust with facets below, variable depth (ground showing around trees, 3' in open shaded areas). Avi Activity: None to speak of on the descents. Skied a 40* slope in the trees off of a N/NE aspect, unconsolidated powder sloughing but no cracking, collapsing, or slabs noted. In one isolated area on the S aspect (about 1pm in the afternoon), we had three collapses in pretty close proximity in an isolated area. All produced cracks, from about 6ft to 20ft, with nothing moving. Looked like the surface was dropping 1/8 to 1/4". Subject slopes were 32ish*. Watched our movements closely and made sure we were in safe zones near aspens. There was no other avi activity in that area, natural or otherwise.