Field Report

Gunnison - CO

2024/12/04
Lat: 38.953, Lon: -107.112
Backcountry Area: Gunnison
Author: CBAC Staff
Organization: Forecaster, CAIC

Report Information

Observation Summary

No signs of instability until we triggered a small unsupported slab at 12,400ft.

CAIC Notes

from CBAC database

Route Description

Up to Richmond and back.

Avalanches

Saw an avalanche

Skier triggered a small slab while making a hard jump turn on an unsported south-facing slope at 12,500ft. We continued to document the expansive natural avalanche events that preceded Thanksgiving. Most notably, adding more large avalanches to southwest-facing slopes and adding another D3 for the east face of Mineral Peak.

i Date # Elev Asp Type Trig SizeR SizeD Problem Type Location
11/27/2024
1 TL NE SS N D2 Persistent Slab
Date and Time 11/27/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
Area Description

Scarp Ridge near Blue Lake
11/26/2024
1 TL SW SS N D2
Date and Time 11/26/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
Area Description

Daisy Pass
11/26/2024
5 TL N SS N D2 Persistent Slab
Date and Time 11/26/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
Area Description

Baxter Basin
11/26/2024
1 >TL SW SS N D2
Date and Time 11/26/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
Area Description

Treasury Mountain
11/26/2024
1 >TL SW SS N D2.5
Date and Time 11/26/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
Area Description

Mt. Baldy
12/04/2024
1 >TL S SS AS/c D1.5 Persistent Slab
Date and Time 12/04/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
Area Description

Richmond Mountain
11/27/2024
1 >TL SW SS N D2
Date and Time 11/27/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
11/27/2024
3 TL SW SS N D2
Date and Time 11/27/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
Area Description

Purple Ridge
12/01/2024
5 TL SW WL N D1 Loose Wet
Date and Time 12/01/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
Area Description

Baxter Basin
11/26/2024
1 >TL N SS N D2 Persistent Slab
Date and Time 11/26/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
11/27/2024
1 <TL SW SS N D2
Date and Time 11/27/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
Area Description

Schuylkill Ridge
11/26/2024
2 >TL SE SS N D2
Date and Time 11/26/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
Area Description

Augusta Mountain
11/26/2024
1 TL N SS N D2 Persistent Slab
Date and Time 11/26/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
Area Description

Scarp Ridge near Blue Lake
11/27/2024
5 >TL W SS N D2
Date and Time 11/27/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
Area Description

Mt. Baldy
11/27/2024
1 TL SW SS N D1.5
Date and Time 11/27/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
Area Description

Daisy Pass
11/26/2024
2 <TL N SS N D2 Persistent Slab
Date and Time 11/26/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
Area Description

Afley west side
11/26/2024
2 >TL S SS N D2
Date and Time 11/26/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
Area Description

The Blob
11/26/2024
1 >TL E SS N D2 Persistent Slab
Date and Time 11/26/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
11/26/2024
4 TL NE SS N D2 Persistent Slab
Date and Time 11/26/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
Area Description

Baxter Basin
11/27/2024
2 TL N SS N D2 Persistent Slab
Date and Time 11/27/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
Area Description

Schuylkill Mountain
11/26/2024
3 TL NW SS D2 Persistent Slab
Date and Time 11/26/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
Area Description

Baxter Basin
11/26/2024
2 >TL E SS N D2 Persistent Slab
Date and Time 11/26/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
Area Description

Richmond and Martini
11/26/2024
1 >TL E SS D2 Persistent Slab
Date and Time 11/26/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
Area Description

Hancock
11/26/2024
1 >TL SE SS D2
Date and Time 11/26/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
Area Description

Richmond
11/27/2024
2 TL W SS N D1.5
Date and Time 11/27/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
Area Description

Purple Ridge
11/27/2024
5 TL E SS N D1.5 Persistent Slab
Date and Time 11/27/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
Area Description

Baxter Basin
11/27/2024
1 >TL E SS N R3 D3 Persistent Slab
Date and Time 11/27/2024 - 12:00pm (estimated) Location 38.953 -107.112
Area Description

Mineral Point

  • Multiple Avalanches

Avalanche Coding Information

Snowpack

Obvious signs of instability were nonexistent. We dug 2 test profiles on two Northeasterly facing slopes that had not avalanched during last week's natural avalanche cycle. One was at 11,200ft, and the other at 12,000ft. Snowpack tests didn't produce results at these locations. The snow profiles are in the media gallery. Another test profile on a southeasterly facing slope at 12,200ft also produced no results.

The snow surface on east and northeast-facing slopes consists of NSF around 1mm in size. Sking through that faceted snow surface is great, and even some of the old wind effect is faceting away.

A 35-degree SE-facing slope at 12,200 feet had a dry 3cm crust over 3cm of moist snow at 2:30 pm.

A steep 40+ degree south-facing slope at 12,400ft had wet snow in the upper snowpack at 3:00pm. Old hard slabs were encountered in the same terrain right near the summit of Richmond.

Observation Media Uploads