Sangre de Cristo
AvalancheLogan Hjelmstad · Apr 8, 2020 · Sangre de Cristo
Weather
Sunny with a stiff wind (20+ mph) out of the South.
Snowpack
Heavily wind loaded ESE face with a thick but soft sun crust below 12,500 ft. Snow progressed to sastrugi and then to dense wind drifted powder as elevation increased. Summit showed signs of wind drifted unstable snow. A pit was dug that morning (10:00am) on an East Aspect. Sudden failure (at 25 taps) of ICT on weak layer approx. 30 cm below surface. Any warmer and a Wet Slab Avalanche May have been of concern down lower on the face.
Avalanche
Only small loose wet slides along cliff bands near the end of the day where the snow surface was at its weakest. Below 12,000, what was left of the snow pack was completely rotted through to the ground.