Northern San Juan
AvalancheEvan Green · Dec 2, 2018 · Northern San Juan
Weather
Approximately 12 inches of new snow in the last 24 hours with heavy snowfall overnight. Wind direction: W. Temperature: 20-25 degrees F. Calm winds below tree line and 30-40 mph winds near Ophir Pass summit. Cloudy with snow showers to partly cloudy on 12/1/18.
Snowpack
West side of the pass had 25 to 40 cm of unconsolidated storm snow below treeline . Above treeline was a shallower windswept snowpack. Minimal signs of instability on west facing terrain. The east side of the pass was wind loaded with a deeper snowpack.
Avalanche
I was traversing across an approximately 30 degree east facing slope at 11,700 on the east side of Ophir Pass, approximately 1/2 miles southwest of the Opus Hut and 1000' northeast of Crystal Lake. This terrain was below a ridgeline and had been windloading the new snow onto a weak faceted snowpack at depth. While skinning across the slope I heard and loud whumpf and turned around to let my partner know, however I had just triggered the windslab which extended up onto the steeper ridgeline above and I was swept off my feet. I managed to deploy my airbag which keep me on top of the snow as I was carried approximately 50-100 feet down slope. I came to a stop in the runout near the toe of the slide with my legs (splitskis attached) buried below the surface. My partner quickly arrived and dug my lower body out of the slide debris. No injuries were sustained during the accident. R1D1.5. Crown: 1 to 2 feet. Width: approximate 60 feet. Avalanche slid to the ground near the start zone. Also one likely skier trigger slide was observed in Swamp canyon on northeast facing terrain near 1120’. Additionally steep north and south facing terrain on the west side of Ophir pass had natural avalanche activity.