Front Range
AvalancheAnonymous · May 10, 2014 · Front Range
Weather
- Mount Stanley Stanley slide paths
- South East aspect
-12,521 ft.
Weather was overcast with some blue sky and good visibility, windy and around 34F.
- South East aspect
-12,521 ft.
Weather was overcast with some blue sky and good visibility, windy and around 34F.
Snowpack
- Mount Stanley
- South facing
- 12,000 ft
Old snow pack with around 3-4 inches of new snow falling over night.
- South facing
- 12,000 ft
Old snow pack with around 3-4 inches of new snow falling over night.
Avalanche
R3 D2.5
entire south facing aspect failed
3 riders ascended to the peak of mount Stanley from the east side stopping around 150 vertical feet before reaching the summit. Riders A and B stopped there with rider C ascending the rest of the way to the summit. Rider A crossed the initial slide path and came to rest on a bench on the opposite side, rider B followed once rider A was safe and came to rest just west of Rider A's stopping point. Once rider A and B were in the agreed upon zone it was communicated that Rider C should continue with his descent. Rider C came off of the peak following the spine separating the East and west paths for about 200 vertical feet, rider C then entered the the south east path dropping from the spine. Upon rider C's entry a storm slab failed and quickly stepped down into a weak layer around 3 feet deep. Within seconds the entire cirque failed at ridge line around 3 feet down. Rider C was caught and carried around 800 vertical feet, riders A and B were caught while trying to keep eyes on C and were also swept several hundred feet down the slope. Riders A and B came to a rest on top of the snowpack, rider C was partially buried but able to self rescue. The path itself ran around 2,400 vertical feet before coming to a rest around 20 yards before hitting the road.
entire south facing aspect failed
3 riders ascended to the peak of mount Stanley from the east side stopping around 150 vertical feet before reaching the summit. Riders A and B stopped there with rider C ascending the rest of the way to the summit. Rider A crossed the initial slide path and came to rest on a bench on the opposite side, rider B followed once rider A was safe and came to rest just west of Rider A's stopping point. Once rider A and B were in the agreed upon zone it was communicated that Rider C should continue with his descent. Rider C came off of the peak following the spine separating the East and west paths for about 200 vertical feet, rider C then entered the the south east path dropping from the spine. Upon rider C's entry a storm slab failed and quickly stepped down into a weak layer around 3 feet deep. Within seconds the entire cirque failed at ridge line around 3 feet down. Rider C was caught and carried around 800 vertical feet, riders A and B were caught while trying to keep eyes on C and were also swept several hundred feet down the slope. Riders A and B came to a rest on top of the snowpack, rider C was partially buried but able to self rescue. The path itself ran around 2,400 vertical feet before coming to a rest around 20 yards before hitting the road.