CAIC

CAIC: Colorado Avalanche Information Center

HW Zone Observation Report

Sunday, March 3, 2019 at 12:00 AM
Vail Pass

Details

Date: 2019/03/03

Observer: Jason Konigsberg
Organization: Forecaster, CAIC

Location

HW Zone: Vail Pass

Avalanches

Date

Location/Path

#

Elev

Asp

Type

Trig

SizeR

SizeD

View

2019/03/03 ^†

Ponds

1

TL

NW

SS

N

R2

D2

View

2019/03/03 ^†

Big Tim

1

>TL

W

SS

N

R2

D2

View

2019/03/03

Monroe

1

TL

NW

SS

N

R3

D3

View

2019/03/03

Big Sam

1

>TL

W

SS

N

R2

D2.5

Media

Images

<b>Figure 1:</b> Photo 1. Crown of an avalanche in Big Sam slide path in Tenmile Canyon. This is presumed to be the crown of the avalanche that put a powder cloud over I-70 on the morning of March 3rd. (<a href=javascript:void(0); onClick=win=window.open('https://caic-production.imgix.net/3mt2qhpejprv0dqdyh9bar2narc5?ixlib=php-3.1.0&s=73b1ceb47befd5a5cf9cc0d87109dfc2','caic_media','resizable=1,height=820,width=840,scrollbars=yes');win.focus();return false;>see full sized image</a>)

<b>Figure 2:</b> Photo 2. Monroe avalanche path. Avalanche debris ran down most of the gullies pictured and put avalanche debris across both eastbound lanes of I-70 on March 3rd, 2019. (<a href=javascript:void(0); onClick=win=window.open('https://caic-production.imgix.net/8nnpygs3orfe58l25xijsnbnf7cv?ixlib=php-3.1.0&s=4f3840e43d3ca1734b8566b8992e730e','caic_media','resizable=1,height=820,width=840,scrollbars=yes');win.focus();return false;>see full sized image</a>)

<b>Figure 3:</b> Photo 3. This is a wide view of the avalanche path from Photo 1. You can see a crown in the lookers right portion of the Big Sam slide path. (<a href=javascript:void(0); onClick=win=window.open('https://caic-production.imgix.net/gglk8rvn65x7mc1qqorho3d8dj48?ixlib=php-3.1.0&s=c88b9dc71a03134dceca804a10d9822e','caic_media','resizable=1,height=820,width=840,scrollbars=yes');win.focus();return false;>see full sized image</a>)

<b>Figure 4:</b> Photo 4. Big Tim slide path in Tenmile Canyon. Avalanche is thought to have occurred on March 3rd after the Big Sam avalanche and before Monroe. (<a href=javascript:void(0); onClick=win=window.open('https://caic-production.imgix.net/u1ggjccauisau0c1oeynka6wek6e?ixlib=php-3.1.0&s=dd11b9affa027ec903f37f9be2e030a3','caic_media','resizable=1,height=820,width=840,scrollbars=yes');win.focus();return false;>see full sized image</a>)

<b>Figure 5:</b> Photo 5. Big Sam path. Same as avalanche in Photos 1 and 3. (<a href=javascript:void(0); onClick=win=window.open('https://caic-production.imgix.net/n1cxh4hk9ufdq58tge2tqqr7l9vl?ixlib=php-3.1.0&s=116c5b5cda31743775a99655410f6875','caic_media','resizable=1,height=820,width=840,scrollbars=yes');win.focus();return false;>see full sized image</a>)

<b>Figure 6:</b> Photo 6. Monroe slide path. You can see large debris piles on either side of the eastbound interstate. Same avalanche as Photo 2. The Big Sam path is just out of view on the left side of the photo. (<a href=javascript:void(0); onClick=win=window.open('https://caic-production.imgix.net/rkxmf9yo6izca3mmkeiovbps4ljy?ixlib=php-3.1.0&s=f42dd68d79da662f2e05fd6a83c1662e','caic_media','resizable=1,height=820,width=840,scrollbars=yes');win.focus();return false;>see full sized image</a>)

<b>Figure 7:</b> Photo 7. Big Sam avalanche. Same as photos 1,3,5. (<a href=javascript:void(0); onClick=win=window.open('https://caic-production.imgix.net/djks8y0xgoe2qdk1pab7cw2kl6gh?ixlib=php-3.1.0&s=09240f4240b29b62a6666467476742ed','caic_media','resizable=1,height=820,width=840,scrollbars=yes');win.focus();return false;>see full sized image</a>)