Sawatch
AvalancheBen Pritchett · Dec 26, 2019 · Sawatch
Weather
Chilly. Light southwesterly winds changed to moderate south winds by early afternoon. Moderate drifting sustained all day.
Snowpack
Highly variable snowpack disguised under a blanket of 4 inches of fresh snow. The most consistent snowpack was below treeline where faceting has eroded mid-pack slabs. You could trigger small loose dry avalanches on very steep slopes that gouge a few inches into the facets in the upper snowpack. Near and above treeline the consitent and generally un-wind-effected new snow gave obscured the typical clues about the snowpack below. Near treeline, around 12,000' seemed the sweet spot for poor structure, with supportive slabs covering many features. ECT's were not propagating. Between these feature-scale islands of slabs we found a mixture punchy faceted areas as well as crusty slick sun and wind-hardened old snow lurking below the fresh powder. We cratered to the bottom of the snowpack unexpectedly a few times where trap doors opened in weak areas. We traveled up and down a variety of aspects and experienced no collapsing or cracking except where we triggered one tiny 10' fresh wind slab pocket below a developing cornice. Drifting was localized to north through east-facing terrain immediately below ridgelines. There was no fresh wind slab development downslope yet. Above 12,000' strong over weak structures are widespread, but proved stubborn or even unreactive in the areas traveled today. The old slabs felt chalky and faceted.
Avalanche
One fresh slab avalanche just below ridge crest on an actively wind-loaded east-facing slope.