Details

• Date: 2021/01/08

• Observer: Jason Konigsberg, Mike Cooperstein
• Organization: Forecaster, CAIC

Location

• BC Zone: Front Range
• Area Description: South of Jones Pass

Weather

• Ridgeline Wind Speed: 10-20 mph
• Ridgeline Wind Direction: NW
• Wind Loading: Light
• Temperature: 10 F
• Sky Cover: Clear
• Weather Description: Wind and temperature data from Berthoud Pass (METAR) wx station which is a similar elevation to the start zone of the avalanche reported in this ob.

Snowpack

Avalanches

• Avalanche Description: A snowmobiler triggered a very large avalanche while highmarking a wind-loaded east-facing slope. The rider was riding downhill when the avalanche released and he was hit from behind. Miraculously the rider was able to stay on his snowmobile and ride the avalanche to the bottom and out of the debris that piled up deeply. If he would have been knocked off his snowmobile, he would have been buried by hard debris, potentially five feet deep. He was the second rider to highmark the slope. His partner was out of harm's way below.

	Date	Location/Path	#	Elev	Asp	Type	Trig	SizeR	SizeD
	2021/01/08	Jones Pass	1	>TL	E	HS	AM / u	R4	D3
Date: 2021/01/08 Time: 11:00 AM (Estimated) Observer: Jason Konigsberg, Mike Cooperstein Organization: Forecaster, CAIC Area Description: First steep east-facing slope, south of Jones Pass Landmark: Jones Pass Average Slope Angle: 36 ° Elevation: 12600 ft Sliding Surface: O - Within Old Snow Weak Layer: Layer Weak Layer Grain Type: Faceted Crystals Average Crown: 48 in Maximum Crown: 72 in Average Width: 550 ft Average Vertical: 860 ft Comments: The avalanche looked to have broke on faceted snow about a foot off of the ground. It gouged down to the ground in places. We did not visit the crown.
	2021/01/08  †	Jones Pass	1	>TL	E	HS	AM / y	R2	D2
Date: 2021/01/08 (Estimated) Observer: Jason Konigsberg, Mike Cooperstein Organization: Forecaster, CAIC Area Description: This avalanche ran sympathetic to the very large snowmobile triggered avalanche. It was lower down the slope and directly north on a relatively smaller terrain feature Landmark: Jones Pass Elevation: 11900 ft

Media

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