This area has only received about two inches of new snow since the last significant loading event on 12/27. Very strong westerly winds on 12/29 blasted this zone and even penetrated below treeline, scouring away the snowpack back to old facets and the ground in some places on a windward treed slope. These winds also built fresh cornices along ridges on top of east and northeast-facing slopes. No natural activity on these slopes was observed. As more days pass since the last storm, signs of instability are decreasing. Cracking and collapsing is no longer widespread and rumbling below treeline, but rather localized to only a feet from skis or board. The weak snow below the new snow creates some trapdoor travel conditions below treeline, and on slopes steeper than around 35 degrees on northeast-facing slopes, we were able to produce some small Loose Dry avalanches that gouged down to the ground. Overcast skies and flat light conditions prevented us from getting good eyes on the alpine.

Nevada Gulch

I travelled on northwest, northeast, and east-facing terrain below and near treeline.

This area received less snow over the holidays than Red Mountain Pass and, as such, the slab that formed over our very weak December drought layer is less thick, stiff, and cohesive below and near treeline. On sheltered north-facing slopes steeper than 35 degrees, it seems like loose avalanches that gouge into deeper weak snow are more likely than a slab. UNLESS, you find a more open slope that has been stiffened by wind/sun/settlement/etc, which is much more likely in the near-treeline elevation band. As I approached my dig site, near treeline, I triggered a small collapse with cracks breaking 15 feet away. In this pit, I found a 4-finger-hard slab about 40 centimeters down from the surface sitting over very weak facets. An extended column test failed on isolation on this layer, and a compression tests resulted in a sudden planar failure on the 12th tap on this same layer. Clearly, all signs point to poor structure and the perfect setup for Persistent Slab avalanches within the top 50 centimeters of our snowpack. The sensitivity of this setup may be decreasing but the consequences remain the same: a dangerous slab avalanche that could gouge deeper into the snowpack, becoming larger as it goes. The freezing rain crust that formed on 12/28 around Telluride is also present in Ophir, but luckily it appears to be breaking down rapidly here and does not negatively impact riding conditions (but you can hear it crackling!).

Overcast skies and temperatures in the 20s with a light breeze out of the southwest.