Operation Observation Report
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 12:00 AM
CB Avalanche Center
Details
Date:
2012/01/24
Observer:
John MacKinnon
Organization:
Crested Butte Avalanche Center
Location
Operation:
CB Avalanche Center
Area Description:
Mt. Emmons
Route Description:
Skied Red Lady Glades--near and below treeline gladed runs that face south on west ridge of Mt. Emmons.
Snowpack
Snowpack Description:
Broken to overcast skies, light northerly winds and light snow throughout morning. Skied south facing slopes near and below treeline as steep as 34 degrees. Got several collapses below treeline but did not observe any cracking. On steeper south facing aspects, last weekend's storm snow is resting on a melt-freeze crust. Observed a few older avalanches from this weekend: south aspect below treeline on a 35 degree slope: SS-N-R1-D1.5-I--crown about 65 cm and width of 15 m and ran 75 m on a crust. Also saw a larger natural? off the north side of Whetstone. Spotty visibility but cross-loaded gulley appeared to run fairly large (D2.5). Several smaller (D1) naturals ran off convex rolls in the run-out of Red Lady Bowl.
Snowpack Obsvervation
Collapsing:
Moderate
Avalanches
Date
Location/Path
#
Elev
Asp
Type
Trig
SizeR
SizeD
2012/01/22
†
Red Lady Glades
1
<TL
S
SS
N
R1
D1.5
Date:
2012/01/22 (Estimated)
Observer:
John MacKinnon
Organization:
Crested Butte Avalanche Center
2012/01/22
†
Whetstone
1
>TL
N
SS
U
U
D2.5
Date:
2012/01/22 (Estimated)
Observer:
John MacKinnon
Organization:
Crested Butte Avalanche Center
Area Description:
Area sees major cross-loading
Comments:
bad visibility from across valley