| Recent Avalanches? | Yes |
| Collapsing (Whumphing)? | No |
| Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | No |
Observation: Turnagain
Location: Tincan Trees
We wallowed up to 2100′ in the Tincan trees to take a look at the aftermath of last night’s storm. There was about 18″ new snow on the ground out of the parking lot, and 2′ new snow in our stability pit. We didn’t get any alarming results in the pit, and we never really got on any slopes steep enough to test, but we did see widespread activity across the highway on Seattle Ridge.
Obvious signs of instability
Observer Comments
At least 10 recent avalanches on the front side of Seattle Ridge (see photos for a few of them). It was really hard to make anything out until the sun popped out around 1:00.
Weather
Moderate winds with variable direction. Strong winds with lots of transport along ridgetops, and it was notable that the wind was blowing all the way down in the meadow just out of the parking lot. Mostly cloudy skies in the morning, breaking up to partly cloudy by around 1:00. Temperatures were getting noticeably colder while we were out.
Snow surface
Around 18" new snow out of the parking lot, closer to 2' by around 2100'. Surfaces were all soft where we were traveling, but some of the higher elevation slopes in the area had obviously gotten hit hard by the wind.
Snowpack
We did not get any propagating results around the Thanksgiving crust (ECTN16 x2) or at the new/old interface (ECTN12 x2). But based on the widespread activity across the highway, with active wind loading off the ridgelines, it seemed like avalanche conditions are still dangerous. It was hard to tell weather the avalanches across the road had failed at the new/old interface, or if they were breaking down around the Thanksgiving crust.
The arrows are pointing at start zones for seven of the avalanches we saw on Seattle Ridge. This is just the section roughly from the motorized parking lot to just south of the Repeat Offender slide path above the motorized up track. See the other photos for zoomed in views of a handful of these avalanches. 12.12.2022
One of the larger avalanches on the front side of Seattle Ridge. Estimated at around 300' wide, 1000' vert. 12.12.2022
Debris from another large avalanche on Seattle Ridge. The crown is hard to make out, but it is likely most of that bowl in the upper portion of the frame released. 12.12.2022
Another large avalanche on the front of Seattle Ridge. 12.12.2022
Outflow winds were blowing a very large plume of snow off the top of the Blueberry ridgeline. 12.12.2022
"Lone Wolf" McQuade Ellis putting in work while I hang out in the back and take pictures. 12.12.2022