Avalanche: Turnagain

Location: Eddies

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

Eddies to 2300′

Avalanche Details
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Trigger SkierRemote Trigger Yes
Avalanche Type Hard SlabAspect Southwest
Elevation 2200ftSlope Angle 35deg
Crown Depth 24inWidth 600ft
Vertical Run 150ft  
Avalanche Details

Midmorning a group remote triggered a D2.5 and a D1.5 on the steep SW aspect at treeline, just SW of the normal eddies uptrack. See photos below for the view from below, the crown profile, and for some of the impressive cracks/blocks that did not slide. At the crown, the thickness looked to be 20-30" thick, running on the new/old interface, but as pictured below some activity went to the ground and likely basal facets. Some cracking and movement of chunks of snow occurred on slope angles in the 20s!

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

On top of the large remote triggered slide reported above, some natural D1s slab avalanches observed on steeper SW rollovers around 2000' in elevation, and across the way on sunnyside a few crowns could be seen in cross loaded gullies. A small amount of debris could be seen in some of the steep N chutes coming down from near the top of Tincan proper, but where it came from was unclear.

Cracking occurred on steep rollovers, and occasional collapsing occurred above 1400' in elevation, mainly small in area and fairly quiet. One very loud collapse occurred on the skin track just above the SW ridge avalanche, on a slope that already had ~10 down tracks and the up-track as well!

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

Few clouds, temps in the 20s up high, 30 at the parking lot
Occasional light east wind at ridgeline

Snow surface

SOFT SNOW!

@400' - 1-2" of soft dry snow over a breakable MF crust
1200-2200' - Ski penetration of 5-10", much less than yesterday!

Snowpack

No formal stability tests.

See crown profile below of SW Ridgeline avalanche.

A hasty ski-pole block on a West aspect failed a hand shear test first under easy pressure at the ground on facets, and then down 18" under medium pressure at the new/old interface. The surface hoar - pictured below - was ~15mm in size!

Photos & Video
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