Details

• Date: 2022/12/03

• Observer: Public

CAIC Comments

Location

• BC Zone: Front Range
• Area Description: Berthoud Pass, Mount Russell NE Face
• Route Description: Two skiers climbed the ridge from the pass to the summit of Mount Russell and proceeded to ski the northeast face.

Weather

• Weather Description: Sunny with Southwest winds

Snowpack

• Snowpack Description: 12,000 ft. Snow and high winds on Friday left terrain above treeline showing rocks and grass except on leeward slopes or gullies. Fresh snow was wind loaded and slabby from 4 -12 inches deep. The Northeast gully on Russell had rocks and grass showing from the summit down a third of the run. On the skiers left side of the gully below the summit a ribbon of snow reached the ridge. from this the skiers right side of the run, there was less than a foot of snow for 100 vertical feet and the depth increased with elevation. Aprox. 250 vertical feet below the ridge there was a very hard bed surface with 8-12 inches of wind slab on top.

Avalanches

• Avalanche Description: The Avalanche was skier released on the ice bed surface 250 feet below the ridge. Skier was carried until it stopped but not buried. The slab fractured 10 feet above the skier and was 50 yards wide and estimated 4-12 inches deep. Skier was carried until the slide stopped, not buried or injured. Skier pulled Airbag which was not necessary for floatation.

Media

Images