Avalanche: Hatcher Pass

Location: $1000 Run

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

$1000 Run to the bump on the north ridge of Hatch Peak at 4300 ft. GREAT powder skiing to be had in wind sheltered mid elevation areas. Several natural avalanches, red flags, and remotely triggered a small wind slab avalanche.

Avalanche Details
If this is an avalanche observation, click yes below and fill in the form as best as you can. If people were involved, please provide details.
Trigger NaturalRemote Trigger0
Avalanche Type Hard SlabAspect North
Elevation 4500ftSlope Angleunknown
Crown DepthunknownWidth 40ft
Vertical Run 200ft  
Avalanche Details

Eldorado Bowl - 4,400 ft, E aspect, SS-NS-R1-D1
Hatch Peak - 4,300 ft, NE aspect, HS-NS-R2-D1.5
Hatch Peak April Bowl - 4,500 ft, NW aspect, HS-NS-R3-D2
Hatch Peak April Bowl - 4,500 ft, NW aspect, HS-NS-R2-D1.5
Hatch Peak April Bowl - 4,500 ft, N aspect, HS-NS-R2-D1
Hatch Peak N Ridge - 4,300 ft, N aspect, HS-ASr-R1-D0.5

Red Flags
Red flags are simple visual clues that are a sign of potential avalanche danger. Please record any sign of red flags below.
Obvious signs of instability
Recent Avalanches?Yes
Collapsing (Whumphing)?Yes
Cracking (Shooting cracks)?Yes
Observer Comments

Mid elevations - almost immediately from leaving the parking lot we experienced cracking around our skis. While skinning up towards the start of the $1000 run ridge, we experienced many shooting cracks and lots of whumphing on the flats. Jumped on test slopes and got long shooting cracks but no slides.

High elevations - while skinning up $1000 run experienced whumphing, many shooting cracks on wind deposited areas on ridge, and jumped on a steep test slope (SE aspect) and got multiple shooting long cracks at what would have been the crown and the stauchwall had the slope released. Remote triggered a small wind slab avalanche while skinning along the wind blown North ridge of Hatch Peak. Significant wind transport at ridge tops with ~25 mph winds blowing from the E.

Weather & Snow Characteristics
Please provide details to help us determine the weather and snowpack during the time this observation took place.
Weather

10:30 am - at parking lot broken clouds, calm to light winds, no precip.
11:30 am - $1000 run ridge, overcast, light to moderate winds, no precip.
12:45 pm - N ridge Hatch Peak, overcast, steady moderate winds, no precip, blowing snow, cold!

Snow surface

HN24 = 10-15 cm at parking lot. Boot penetration = 35 cm and ski penetration = 25 cm F hard, on flats below start of $1000 run. Excellent skiing in wind sheltered areas!

Wind blown strastrugi and wind slab on ridgelines on skin up Hatch. Cross loading from east to west. Skyscraper was extremely wind stripped.

Snowpack

Shallow! Dug quick pit on flats below $1000 run after getting whumphing.
Pit HS = 50 cm.
50-40 cm = F, settled powder
40-25 cm = F, decomposed grains
25-23 cm = P, melt grains
23-22 cm = 4F, facets
22-21 cm = 1F+, melt grains
21-0 cm = 1F, facets and 2-3 mm depth hoar.

Photos & Video
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