Avalanche: Turnagain

Location: Turnagain Pass - Moto Lot

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

Alaska Avalanche School staff training day, perfectly timed between storms! Staff worked on snowpit observations and rescue practice ahead of the 2020/21 avalanche education season. Groups worked in flats just outside of the moto parking lot, base of Rookie Hill.

Avalanche Details
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Trigger SkierRemote Trigger Unknown
Avalanche Type Soft SlabAspect Southwest
Elevation 3200ftSlope Angleunknown
Crown DepthunknownWidthunknown
Vertical Rununknown  
Avalanche Details

We witnessed Hippy Bowl avalanche at ~1345 today. See Sean Fallon obs for the details. Also..... drove South thru the Pass at about 1545 and saw a large skier triggered avalanche on the SW face of Sunburst. No details other than I saw a single ski track entering the crown at the apex, as viewed thru binos. Word is that nobody was caught.... fortunate as it would've been a really rough, bumpy ride this early season.

Red Flags
Red flags are simple visual clues that are a sign of potential avalanche danger. Please record any sign of red flags below.
Obvious signs of instability
Recent Avalanches?Yes
Collapsing (Whumphing)?Yes
Cracking (Shooting cracks)?No
Observer Comments

Large avalanches observed in Hippy bowl and Sunburst today. Localized whumphing in the flats outside of the moto lot.

Weather & Snow Characteristics
Please provide details to help us determine the weather and snowpack during the time this observation took place.
Weather

2-4" new snow overnight at parking lot. Calm winds. Cold temps (10-15F) throughout the day. Mostly clear skies with some low fog funneling in late in the day. #vivalaniƱa

Snow surface

10-12" settled pow. Minimal wind effect.

Snowpack

HS: 70 cm
Loc: Base of Rookie Hill (moto lot); Ele:1,000'; Asp: West; Slope: ~15 degrees; Test: ECTP8 - 13 x a bunch.

Tests failing consistently on 1-2mm facets ~40cm down, above m/f crust. This is the storm interface that was buried on Friday 11/20.

Moist facets at the ground.

Photos & Video
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