Turnagain Pass

Despite our generally stable conditions, it is still important to look for signs of instability as the mountains can surprise us at times. Periods of localized ridgetop winds over the last two days have transported some surface snow. Finding an isolated wind slab is not out of the question. The last avalanche triggered was over a week ago and cold temperatures have been helping the snowpack adjust. Observations and snowpack tests have been pointing towards a stabilizing snowpack.

Low danger does not mean no danger. Practice good travel habits, such as exposing one person at a time, watching your partners and grouping up in safe zones are key ways to minimize risk. Ease into steep terrain and factor in the consequences should you encounter one of the following:

• Glide avalanche:  
• Identify glide cracks and avoid spending any time under these features. Glide cracks are opening and have avalanched within the last week. Glides are completely unpredictable and not human triggered.
• An outlier slab avalanche: 
• Triggering a slab avalanche would most likely occur on an exposed ‘unsupported slope’ that sits above a cliff or steep rocky terrain. A wind slab or a pocket of buried surface hoar 1-3′ below the surface may be lurking in an isolated area.
• Cornice fall: 
• Remember cornices often break farther back from ridges than expected. Give them a wide berth.
• Loose Snow Sluffs:
• Be aware of fast moving surface snow in steep terrain. Sluffs are slowly becoming larger as the cold weather weakens surface layers.

 Glide cracks and wind textured snow on the SW face of Tincan Proper. Photo taken yesterday 1/9/18 compliments of Allen D. and Eric R. Glide cracks are present in a lot of popular terrain and can be hard to see until you’re suddenly near one.

South of Turnagain – Lynx Creek/Johnson Pass/Summit Lake zone:  A poor snowpack structure exists in these areas. The buried surface hoar that we have been talking about over the past week has been found as well as facet/crust combinations in the bottom of the snowpack. The last avalanche cycle was over a week ago during the New Year’s storm, and overloaded a variety of these weak layers in Summit Lake. Cold weather this weak has been helping stability around the area, but steep slopes without debris below remain suspect. If you’re headed this way, the snowpack becomes more complex – evaluate terrain exposure and the snowpack as you travel.