Sawatch

Avalanche

Jay Irwin · Feb 14, 2017 · Sawatch

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Weather

Peak below Buckeye peak and above Sangree Hut. Aspect SE facing. Elevation 12,400. Overcast, light winds and light blowing snow. CIAC Report showed Wind Slab and Persistent Slab as hazard with Moderate above Treeline on E-NW slopes.

Snowpack

Wind scoured and slightly wind loaded in the lip below the peak. Fresh snow of 8 CM from the previous day. No new snow that day. HS: 190 cm Dug a baseline profile of 155 CM to find Pencil hardness to 135CM and then 1F hardness down to 93cm with the rest of the column being pencil hardness again. We experienced a CTE4 SC at 135CM and a CTH26 RP at 93CM. Observed on a 27 degree slope

Avalanche

Skier 1 skied across small windlip into 32 Degree pitch and immediately triggered a R1-D1 Windslab avalanche with slab approximately 20cm. It ran approximately 50-100 Meters. Skier 1 immediately stepped back and Skier 1 and Skier 2 hiked back to top and walked down the Westerly slope to safe zone.