Southern San Juan
AvalancheChris Bilbrey · Nov 17, 2021 · Southern San Juan
Weather
Cool sunny day with light winds below ridgetops.
Snowpack
Travel from pass level to the snow belt requires mixed modes (over-the-snow, walking, climbing over downed timber) and a good attitude. What snow lingers below or around 11,000 feet is fully faceted but almost not deep enough to be a big concern in the future - lots of natural obstacles poking through the surface. Near and above treeline slopes facing northwest, north, and northeast are about the only spots with continuous snow cover left in the South San Juan. The snowpack there ranges from a foot in shallow areas up to two feet deep in drifted spots. The overall structure continues to weaken, is becoming less supportable by the day, and large facets are developing. While we were able to stay on top of the snow while traveling on skis, walking was a different story. We easily punched to the ground once we stepped off our skis. We encountered isolated stiff, wind-board above weak facets below steep cliffs and in gullies in the alpine. These did not present much of a hazard today, but these harder snow surfaces can support a bigger load in the future before failing under a new snow load.
Avalanche
None observed