Field Report

Northern San Juan - CO

2025/04/21
Lat: 37.898, Lon: -107.537
Backcountry Area: Northern San Juan
Author: Krista Beyer
Organization: Forecaster, CAIC

Report Information

Observation Summary

A haiku:
Good freezing overnight
Recent snow still cold on north
Corn forms quick in Spring
After two days of snow and clouds, yesterday's sun and warm temperatures weren't enough to cause a widespread shed cycle. Most loose activity was observed on north slopes, particularly near rocky areas in steep terrain. Cold snow is preserved on high north and has settled into a soft cohesive surface. West and southwest slopes have already transitioned into a melt-freeze cycle supportable to skis.

Area Description

Burns Gulch

Route Description

Travelled between 10,400 ft and 13,500 ft on north, west, and southwest slopes

Avalanche

The only recent avalanche activity observed is loose activity. Most loose slides were on steep north slopes near rocky terrain features. I saw a couple of small Loose Wet slides on a southwest slope which stayed within the recent storm snow.

i
Expand to see more details
Date # Elev Asp Type Trig SizeR SizeD Problem Type Location
04/20/2025
2 TL SW WL N R1 D1 Loose Wet

Snowpack

Despite recent north winds and a few reported 2-inch wind slabs found adjacent to ridgeline on south slopes, the deepest drifts still exist on north-facing terrain. I found around 12-14 inches of cold, drifted, and settled snow on high north slopes. New snow was unreactive to ski pressure apart from some cracking in a surface wind skim adjacent to ridgeline.
West and southwest slopes hold about 5 inches of recent snow that has already undergone a supportable melt-freeze cycle. This snow sits just above the old dusty surface. With current warm temperatures and ample sun, most loose avalanches will be confined to the new snow and slide on the new/old interface.

Weather

Sunny and warm with a light breeze. Temperatures around 10 degrees warmer than yesterday at pass level.

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