Gunnison
SnowpackSteve Banks · Feb 21, 2012 · Gunnison
Weather
S-1 most of the day with moderate NW-N winds and temps in the low 20's. About 1.5" of accumulation through the day and 5" in the past couple days.
Snowpack
Toured along the top of Anthracite Mesa in a rather untrammeled area with no collapses and only one crack on a steeper south facing roll where the snowpack was exceptionally weak with crust and facet layers. Snow was generally supportive with ski pen about 6", though boot pen was hip deep. Quick test pit showed a foot of large depth hoar near the ground with a 1F hard layer of facets above, likely the rotting New Year's wind slabs. The "midpack" was 4F small facets with 5" of new snow above. ECT produced no results. At Coney's Ridge proper I triggered 2 small avalanches in the new wind slab of buried near surface facets. Both were SS-ASc-R1-D1-I 30 feet wide 5-8" deep slowly running 30 feet down slope and barely getting out of the gliding motion. Surprisingly, the second one released, then another tiny pocket popped about 20 feet away with no crack connecting the two. Each slide released in the steeper, 35 degree start zone directly under the small cornice and ridgetop, and stopped on the 33 degree slope just below.