Front Range
AvalancheAnonymous · May 17, 2016 · Front Range
Weather
Broken skies throughout day, mostly high clouds with *brief* periods of sun breaking through. Temps barely below freezing throughout day, brief periods of S-1 in the morn into overcast afternoon with 30 minutes of sun on the exit approx 15:00. 44F at Bakerville parking at 15:30. Winds light to calm, N/NE at ridgline in the a.m., going to calm midday. Torrey's summit was calm, overcast at 14:00. Warm temps (slightly above freezing, greenhouse effect from the clouds, and a bit of sun) in the afternoon. Thin baselayer and windshirt all day, no more! Sunburn on legs thru thigh vents--woops! Definitely solar input throughout day.
Snowpack
Eight-to-10 inches of new snow just below the summit N/NE/E aspects. Deeper in wind affected spots. Bit of cross-loading on north aspect and a 4F slab from 14,200 (summit) down to 14,000 (resting on moist crust), then consistent (fun!) storm snow transitioning to hot-pow to wet/punchy mank/isothermal at 11,000. (Pic attached below; glove is at the old-snow interface/crust, which was still moist, north aspect on uptrack, 13,000ft.) No obvious signs of instability on east aspect, SE ridge on the way up, obvious loading on N/NE aspects just below summit fairly reactive, improving stability down to 12K, then temp-affected snow down to valley bottom. Generally very good coverage and excellent skiing, but sun is going to nuke it when it comes out!
Avalanche
SS Asu R1 D1 O, 25cm crown, approx 2.5m wide, debris ran 150ft, entrained some loose debris, but relatively slow moving. 14,100ft, north aspect, 35 degrees, at the entrance to the Emperor Gully, between rocks at the gully margin. Triggered at last turn of initial pitch, turning into safe spot beneath rocks. No one caught or tumbled. (pic attached) Numerous small sluffs throughout couloir, loose wet, pinwheels, chunder, but all small and easily avoided, not too troublesome.