Field Report
Vail & Summit County - CO
Report Information
The snowpack remains worrying and, at least here, there is ample evidence of an active persistent slab problem near treeline on most or all aspects.
Pennsylvania creek and Indiana Creek.
Skied on lower NE-facing slopes of Red Mountain, then toured up and over into the Indiana creek drainage. I avoided large slopes over 30 degrees.
Avalanches
I saw a significant avalanche on a relatively small slope at 11,100' facing East and in the trees. This may have been a natural or I may have remotely triggered it from a long way away. I checked out the crown. The weak layer was about 10cm thick of 1mm, fist hard facets. ECTP21, PST 25/100 end. Higher up I noticed another small avalanche on a NE-facing slope closer to the ridge. In the distance I could what looked like debris from an avalanche on Baldy (SW, ~12300). It was hard to get a sense of the size or character of that one.
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Date | # | Elev | Asp | Type | Trig | SizeR | SizeD | Problem Type | Location |
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01/13/2025
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1 | TL | E | HS | U | R3 | D1.5 | Persistent Slab |
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Date and Time
01/13/2025 -
12:00pm
(estimated)
Location
39.413
-106.019
Slope Angle
38 degrees
Start Zone Elevation
11,100 ft
Sliding Surface
O
Avg Depth
65 cm
Avg Width
70 ft
Avg Vertical Run
40 ft
Max Vertical Run
60 ft
Weak Layer
Layer
Weak Layer Type
Faceted Crystals
Area Description
Indiana creek drainage.
Avalanche Comments
Recent natural or remote trigger from a distance. Photo only shows half of it, I couldn't find a safe and easy way to get a good view of the other side. |
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01/13/2025
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TL | NE | SS | N | R2 | D1 | Persistent Slab |
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Date and Time
01/13/2025 -
12:00pm
(estimated)
Location
39.413
-106.019
Sliding Surface
O
Avg Width
20 ft
Avg Vertical Run
50 ft
Area Description
Indiana creek drainage. |
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Multiple Avalanches
Snowpack
The weekend's snow has settled to about 15cm. Breaking trail on a near-treeline slope facing WSW, the snow was mostly supportable to ski travel with minor cracking at my ski tips. I found a weaker spot near some trees and caused a significant collapse and could see some small trees wiggling over 100' away. In this area (WSW, 11100', 20deg slope), the snowpack was about a meter deep. I dug a quick pit and got an ECTP12 about 50cm down on 2mm facets. Crossing over the ridge to an easterly, near treeline area I encountered substantial cracking with some opening several centimeters wide. As I skied and skinned around, pretty much every slope and convexity had signs of recent cracking and/or collapsing. I could not see, hear, or feel them happening; they hay have been there already or I may have been triggering them from beyond my view and around terrain features. In this area the snow was about 130cm deep.
Weather
Cold air temps. Increasing sky cover and westerly winds. There was a little bit of light snow in the afternoon but no accumulation.