| Trigger | Unknown | Remote Trigger | Unknown |
| Avalanche Type | Hard Slab | Aspect | North |
| Elevation | 2500ft | Slope Angle | 40deg |
| Crown Depth | 2ft | Width | 350ft |
| Vertical Run | unknown |
Avalanche: Turnagain
Location: Sunburst
While we waited for the plow to clear Sunburst parking lot, drove down to Bertha Creek and watched two HUGE wolves cross the road!!! So amazing! Deep gratitude for wild wolves in our backyard!
Toured up standard Sunburst uptrack looking for evidence from yesterday’s storm. Even the uptrack down low was completely filled in from Tuesday with excellent powder, that gradually turned more dense until it became baby sastrugi at around 2300′. Discovered a natural wind slab that had stepped down to the ground on North aspect of Sunburst perhaps at end of storm. Best skiing was low pow meadows!
Avalanche Details
As uptrack approaches ridge, sastrugi pointed due South, indicating that wind loading at the end of the storm was the culprit. A crack across the whole top of the ridge delineated where the wind slab ranging from 8-20 inches deep broke and travelled about 50' down slope before stepping down to the basal facets on the ground. We couldn't see how far it ran from above and tried to look again from Center Ridge, it seemed like it went to the valley but definately peetered out. Our guess was D2.
Obvious signs of instability
| Recent Avalanches? | Yes |
| Collapsing (Whumphing)? | No |
| Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | Yes |
Observer Comments
See photos
Weather
At 9:30 a.m., 27 degrees in parking lot ...by 1:30: 15 degrees in parking lot
Sunny bluebird in am giving way to incoming storm from South as clouds started to populate the sky
Snow surface
Light crust at parking lot disappeared with only 100 ft of elevation gain, giving way to blissful meadow pow which in turn gave way to baby sastrugi and wind hardened snow at 2300' and above it didn't look awesome. Turned around at 2500 ft to capitalize on #makemeadowskippingcoolagain . Never has the uptrack skied so sweetly! Nice refresh!
Snowpack
We dug a hand pit at 1300' and got a moderate shear on Buried surface hoar down 60 cms.
We didn't dig a formal pit.
Probed depths at 2200' ranging between 60-85 cms.
Drummy wind slab beginning at 2300' in places.
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Wind effect with avalanche in background
Common uptrack along ridge
Wind effect along ridge