From obs: "On our way out to fairy lake we stopped in the open meadow just before the campground and noticed a sizeable natural avalanche on a northfacing slope that appeared to have broken on the layer of sugary facets on the ground. From our perspective it appeared to have happened a few days ago likely after the loading event midweek." Photo: E. Marcoux
From email: "I was skiing in Hayden Creek yesterday 20210109 with two others. We found widespread poor structure across the E face of the sub with some failure upon isolation down 65-80cm on 2-3mm faceted crystals HS varied from 110-230cm. We also saw one small R1D1 pocket that pulled out seemingly at the same depth as the aforementioned faceted crystals In slightly steeper and rockier terrain. No photo. The avalanche was on a ENE aaspecton Hayden Peak."
From obs: "1/9/21 350pm: 333 deg NNW, broke on ski cut lookers right approx 60 ft across, 200 ft or so total distance to toe of debris. Broke 2.5/3 ft deep on a wind loaded pocket, slid on a firm surface with facets on top."
From obs: "1/9/21 350pm: 333 deg NNW, broke on ski cut lookers right approx 60 ft across, 200 ft or so total distance to toe of debris. Broke 2.5/3 ft deep on a wind loaded pocket, slid on a firm surface with facets on top."
From obs: "1/9/21 350pm: 333 deg NNW, broke on ski cut lookers right approx 60 ft across, 200 ft or so total distance to toe of debris. Broke 2.5/3 ft deep on a wind loaded pocket, slid on a firm surface with facets on top."
From obs: "While ski touring in the Hyalite Creek Drainage today, my ski partner and I both, at separate times of the day, remote triggered sudden collapses. Each time, we felt the snow collapse underneath our feet, and then heard and felt a deep "whumph". The noise came from the North of us both times, where the slope was slightly steeper (still below about 28 degrees-- not colored with "slope angle shading" layer on caltopo.)."
From email: "...I found a small piece of this mostly low angle slope to have avalanched, probably from a day or two ago, a handful of older tracks were near it. I measure most of this slope around 26-28 degrees... This is on the farthest south part of the top meadow. An epic amount of whumphs up there, I stopped counting after I got to 10 on my second switch back. Our best one knocked snow out of a tree 100’ away. It feels like remote triggering is a very real possibility. Skies were more overcast than expected. While it never went blue, the sun poked out a little in the afternoon. Cold temps, 0F in the AM, warmed to 24F in the PM. 5-6mm susurface hoarverywhere,..."
From email: "...I found a small piece of this mostly low angle slope to have avalanched, probably from a day or two ago, a handful of older tracks were near it. I measure most of this slope around 26-28 degrees... This is on the farthest south part of the top meadow. An epic amount of whumphs up there, I stopped counting after I got to 10 on my second switch back. Our best one knocked snow out of a tree 100’ away. It feels like remote triggering is a very real possibility. Skies were more overcast than expected. While it never went blue, the sun poked out a little in the afternoon.
From email: "...I found a small piece of this mostly low angle slope to have avalanched, probably from a day or two ago, a handful of older tracks were near it. I measure most of this slope around 26-28 degrees... This is on the farthest south part of the top meadow. An epic amount of whumphs up there, I stopped counting after I got to 10 on my second switch back. Our best one knocked snow out of a tree 100’ away. It feels like remote triggering is a very real possibility. Skies were more overcast than expected. While it never went blue, the sun poked out a little in the afternoon.
From obs: "We were heading for Ernie Miller Ridge, but got deterred by our group hearing MORE COLLAPSES AND SETTLEMENTS THAN I'VE EVER HEARD IN A SINGLE TRIP, in over 23 years of backcountry skiing. Some in the open, some in the woods. Some small, some HUGE and FAR running. Some heard by the person in front, some by the 4th in our party, some where we were following an old skin track, some where we were in fresh snow. As a group we probably heard 25 over the course of the day. We didn't dig any formal pits, as the snow was telling us all we needed to know. Stay safe out there. Thanks"
