Gunnison
SnowpackIan Havlick · Nov 29, 2013 · Gunnison
Weather
Few cumulus clouds popping over high peaks. Light west wind made ridgetop feel significantly colder. Strong solar radiation felt beginning around 10am.
Snowpack
Ascended standard skin track up southerly slopes to top of red lady. Snow along the way lacked much surface hoar, and held a variety of surface sun crusts, wind buff, and moistening settled powder by 1030. Snow above treeline was mostly wind compressed sastrugi, or breakable wind crust. Investigation of recently triggered (10min prior) avalanche revealed a variable bed surface of ground (small scree), 4-5mm cohesionless depth hoar, decaying 1F hard melt freeze crust which appeared to have been bed surface for majority of slide, probably allowing such wide propagation. Within narrow entrance couloir, the snowpack was much different, consisting of mostly 3-6mm facets, with an unusual "crust pavement" of 10-20mm pebbles within the middle of the slab, which I assume were transported onto the snow surface in high wind event a few weeks ago. Stability tests on fracture line revealed repeatable CT15, SC failures, 12cm above the ground on 4mm striated facets. Snow surface had slight rippled texture from previous wind with 8mm SH on top.