| Recent Avalanches? | Yes |
| Collapsing (Whumphing)? | No |
| Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | No |
Observation: Girdwood
Location: Winner Creek trail - First major avalanche chute crossed
Observation from Winner Creek trail – the first major avalanche chute you cross once you start heading along the sidehill section (if you can’t use the beaver pond crossing).
Winner creek trail to upper valley. breakable crust under a little fresh powder. Also went out on January 2nd, the crust was less breakable under 4 inches or so of heavier powder. These are post event observations for general data collection. This is a place that frequently releases naturally– quite predictable that there would be signs of an impressive slide here.
Obvious signs of instability
Observer Comments
Just an observation that big avalanches, that often release and deposit debris across Winner Creek trail, had released in the huge Christmas storm. It left a big pile of debris across the trail... crossed it on Jan 2 when there was a better snowpack on top, but it was the iciest, jumble challenge of avalanche debris in a long time. That slide path is stable until the next big storm. Didn't get out as far as the next band of avalanche chutes.
Weather
Just below freezing on the 27th, that inversion on the 2nd, making it 5 down at the valley bottom, about 15 up on the trail along the hill.
Snow surface
Settled powder, 2-4 inches?
Snowpack
An inch thick rain crust on top of hoar frost.