Avalanche: Turnagain

Location: Pete’s North

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

We toured up Pete’s North. There is still relatively thin snow cover down low and the alder fields are formidable. We experienced widespread whumpfing in the Alder meadows, and attributed this to a combination of snowpack instability but also vegetation affecting snowpack structure from below. There are still lots of exposed devils club and shrubs like blueberry and salmon berry.

Avalanche Details
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Trigger SkierRemote Trigger No
Avalanche Type Soft SlabAspect Northwest
Elevation 1900ftSlope Angle 40deg
Crown Depth 12inWidth 40ft
Vertical Run 100ft  
Avalanche Details

We dug a pit at roughly treeline on a nw slope, 28 degrees and found mildly reactive layers in the first 6 inches. An additional failure roughly 12 inches deep seemed to be at the base of this weeks wind slab. We skied into the trees on a short but steeper slope. Second skier made a ski cut on a steeper rollover and a slab cut loose. Crown estimated to be 12 inches deep, 40’ wide. The slab ran less than 100 feet. No one was caught by the slide or injured.

Weather & Snow Characteristics
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Weather

Partly cloudy. 2” new snow. No wind. 24F

Photos & Video
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