Avalanche: Seward

Started from the parking lot at 11:30. Bluebird day, 21°, calm down below the trees. Took a little bit of a creative skin track up, a little snotty in places. Noted some rollerballs.

Above treeline, very strong gusts from the north. Lots of wind effect, some sastrugi, snowpack punchy and hollow at times but surprisingly good pockets of powder. Noted big cornices and dry sluffs on the surrounding peaks, lots of flagging. Snowpack probed 120 cm deep at 2,200 ft. Beautiful views of the Bay.

Regular ski track down. Right at tree line, skiier-triggered slab avalanche on NW face, crown 2-4″ deep, 20 feet wide with shooting cracks, 10 feet from top to bottom. No one (except a ski pole) caught or carried.

About halfway down, another skiier-triggered avalanche on W face, crown 6-8″ deep, 30 feet wide with shooting crack another 50 feet, 45 feet from top to bottom. No one was caught or carried. This one had more substantial debris than the first, and we are thankful for good risk behaviors (only exposing one person at a time) and radios.

Back at the parking lot at 4:45.