Gunnison

Avalanche

Randy Felix · Nov 10, 2015 · Gunnison

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Weather

Clear, calm, and sunny

Snowpack

Approximately 20 inches of powder from storms the previous two days. Probing with ski pole on ascent went easily all the way through the snow pack to the ground.

Avalanche

Some settling of snow pack on lower angle terrain. Skier triggered avalanche at approx. 12,600 ft. on the north face of Mt. Baldy. Start was approximately several hundred feet below the summit. Two skiers descending from the summit through shallow rocky wide gully terrain. Lower skier started descending in the deeper snow of the north face and triggered the avalanche. Skier above was above fracture and safe. The avalanche was relatively slow moving and the skier was easily able to ski to the side and down out of the way of the slide. The crown was 2.5 feet and ran approx. 400-500 feet and was approx 100-200 feet wide. This is an estimate.