Triggered a small dry loose sluff on steep 45deg+ terrain on ENE aspect at 4500'
Observation: Hatcher Pass
Location: Martin Mine to Tsunami Wall
Toured up Martin Mine to the pass and over to the Tsunami Wall on the Willow side to assess wind slab and sluff potential. No cracking or whumping on our tour. We observed a few new natural small dry loose sluffs from 3″ of new snow overnight and human triggered a couple small sluffs.
Avalanche Details
Observer Comments
No cracking or whumping today.
We stomped on a cornice at 4600' and a chunk broke off that triggered a small wind slab that triggered a small sluff which ran approximately 100 ft.
Weather
3" new snow from 1/4
Calm to light winds today. We only felt a light breeze at ridgetop at 4600'. Marmot station @ 4500' reported ESE 4-8 mph G10-15 mph. Hatch @ 4561' reported SE 10-15 G18-20mph during our tour.
Mild temperatures today that hovered in the 20'sF
Snow surface
Snow surfaces had rimed surface hoar and stellars from 3" new snow 1/4.
At ridgetop and just below ridges snow surfaces are bulletproof, scoured on windward aspects and have cornice formation on leeward aspects.
On steep E to SW aspects above 3500' smooth and firm bed surfaces with 1-4" thick old firm wind slabs can easily be felt underfoot making it challenging skinning in isolated locations.
Snowpack
Overall good structure and no propagation in our pit today. Numerous hand shears on E, S, W aspects revealed varying thickness and hardness wind slabs that were mostly unreactive, stubborn, and patchy in distribution.
We have observed more faceting throughout the snowpack over the last week during the Dec 25-31 cold spell in weather. See side wall pit photo.
1/5 4000′ ENE Martin Mine, Natural dry loose sluff
1/5 Top of the Martin Mine Gully . Firm surfaces exist everywhere!
1/5 Corniced ridgeline in the distance btw Martin Mine and Tsunami Wall
1/5 Ridges are firm to travel on but worth it for the amazing sunrise!
1/5 Firm surfaces, scalloping and sastrugi exist at ridgeline nearly everywhere!
1.5.24 pit