From obs: 01/01/22: "Saw a small slide come off the ridge. We dug a pit and the wind slab was 8 inches to a foot and a half. During our snow tests it consistently broke on the week layer around a foot deep." Photo: B. Paulson
From obs 1/1/22: "While skinning towards the ramp we witnessed what looked like a natural slide that started right around Pete’s Pinnacle which ran down along the boundary line about 1000 feet. Unknown trigger."
We were able to easily trigger small fresh drifts of snow on 1/1/22 as they formed from strong west wind.
On 1/1/2022 we saw two recent natural wind slabs in addition to the two that were reported yesterday. One was on the north summit of Saddle Peak and the other was on the north side of Argentina Bowl. - GNFAC
Strong ridgetop winds transported snow onto Saddle Peak creating unstable slabs on January 1st. Photo: GNFAC
Strong winds on 1/1/2022 formed fresh, soft drifts. These drifts broke and cracked easily, and slid on steep slopes. Photo: GNFAC
We saw this natural avalanche on the north summit of Saddle Peak on 1/1/2022. It is one of at least 4 natural avalanches that broke on wind-loaded slopes on Saddle Peak in the past 3-4 days. Recent snow and wind formed slabs over weak facets which makes large avalanches possible to trigger. Photo: BBSP
We saw this fresh natural avalanches near Saddle Peak on 1/1/2022. Recent snow and wind formed slabs over weak facets which makes large avalanches possible to trigger. Photo: GNFAC
