Sawatch
AvalancheEvan Ross · Jan 24, 2018 · Sawatch
Weather
Mostly clear sky. Its always windy on the divide, but not much for blowing snow as the fetches have run dry. I took my down parka off while hiking today for the first time since Monday. So I guess its getting a little warmer.
Snowpack
There is so little snow coverage on the range scale in this area, but man, where there is snow it sure is noisy. Skied some north facing old growth forest with little to worries about. Moving through a low angle basin in the 11,000 to 11,500ft range the snowpack started speaking up. On southeasterly terrain, a micro easterly terrain feature with cross loading, a collapse shot cracks nearly 1000ft up the terrain feature. So rad! Slope angels and terrain were too mild to produce an avalanche. Other collapses continued to produce shooting cracks. Moving on to a westerly slope in the same elevation ban, still produced some shooting cracks while skiing. But trees and sub 32 degree slope angels didn't lead to anything more significant. Shooting cracks and collapsing on lower angled slopes sure make your real it in. Though much of the steeper avalanche terrain is just so recked by the wind events it leaves you to wonder how many slopes have a continues snowpack structure capable of releasing an avalanche.
Avalanche
There sure were some good old ones on ENE to NE aspects in the North Fooses Area. And one recent skier triggered PS from today near the top of Monarch Pass.