Front Range
SnowpackAnonymous · Feb 21, 2011 · Front Range
Weather
Partly cloudy, strong W winds, Intense blowing snow; H -10c.
Snowpack
Very reactive windslabs on N and E aspects well below treeline. 2 avalanches observed-- I triggered one on a test slope (150 m WNW of Nymph Lake, el. 9880') I use most weeks (about the largest it's run). E aspect, 35-38 degrees, AS, SS, crown depth 35-50 cm, 30 m across, D1.5, ran on NS facets at the new snow/old snow interface; triggered remotely (about 4 m below me) before I even moved out on the slope.
Another small avalanche was triggered by 3 skiers on a NNE aspect in the Dream Chutes just S of Dream Lake (el. 10,200')-- in steeper (40+) terrain, similar 50cm crown, fracture line almost 60m across-- this triggered on a convex wind roll in a cross loaded gulley, no one was caught or injured.
Also plenty of shooting cracks when crossing wind rolls-- the slabs are stiffening and have significant energy for propagation.Variable, 10-50 cm of new snow, mostly wind deposited, over the old snow surface. Hard crust on old snow surface on sunny aspects, variable stiffness of old snow layer on shadier aspects.
Another small avalanche was triggered by 3 skiers on a NNE aspect in the Dream Chutes just S of Dream Lake (el. 10,200')-- in steeper (40+) terrain, similar 50cm crown, fracture line almost 60m across-- this triggered on a convex wind roll in a cross loaded gulley, no one was caught or injured.
Also plenty of shooting cracks when crossing wind rolls-- the slabs are stiffening and have significant energy for propagation.Variable, 10-50 cm of new snow, mostly wind deposited, over the old snow surface. Hard crust on old snow surface on sunny aspects, variable stiffness of old snow layer on shadier aspects.