Aspen
AvalancheScott Toepfer · Dec 17, 2022 · Aspen
Weather
Cold AM start, -9F. No wind, bluebird
Snowpack
Recycled powder surface. NW’ly aspect. Started out with a Supportable mid pack slab, 3-4” thick. Snowpack somewhat less than a meter thick. At around 10,400 we started to get some small localized collapse and cracking. By ~ 10,500 we were getting larger collapse, shaking snow out of the trees. Slope angle was around 30 degrees, maybe a touch more. Cracks shooting out quite some distance. We were in comfortably spaced trees, wide enuf to ski thru. Took very little conversation to pull the plug and ski back to the TH.
Avalanche
N’ly aspect off the ‘Nipple’ south of Ant up Yule Creek. Big. Estimate crown was 15-20 feet, whole face below the summit cliff band pulled out to ground, wall to wall. We did not notice it yesterday, (and we were looking up that way a lot) or this morning, but we may not have noticed this morning while we trying to stay warm. I’m going to classify it as HSNR4D3G Not sure starting elevation or other dimensions but the crown was visible from a long ways away. I’d bet money it hit valley floor. Sorry, no fotos.