Front Range

Avalanche

Robert Coppolillo · Mar 4, 2017 · Front Range

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Weather

Sunny, moderate W winds, below freezing temps. Sun effect on sunny aspects, but winds kept things cool and not as sun-affected as one might've expected on E, NE aspects.

Snowpack

Varied between wind affected to blown in, soft (quality skiing on lower-angle, shadier slopes E/NE; better turns towards north aspects). NE/E/SE aspects have several thin sun crusts in upper 50 snow. February PWL (facets on crust) is approx 60cm down---CTM, CTH, CTH and ECTN in pit on NE-facing slope, 38 degrees, 11,500ft, 20cm of blown-in snow, then couple fragile sun crusts, down to facets atop Feb crust. Pit location was on NW end of cliffs below old lift line, between "Lift Gully" and the "Meadows."

Avalanche

Two shallow slabs off Lift Gully area, in rocky, steep terrain, less than a foot deep, ran to lower angle terrain below. D2, remained confined to small features, 24 or more hours old, assume wind slabs from last event. Observed small crowns on Current Creek headwall and Stanley E/NE terrain, also steep, rocky confined features. No wide propagation observed. Good visibility, so saw most of the terrain on Russell, Current, Stanley S/SE/E aspects.