Field Report
Gunnison - CO
Report Information
Loose avalanches were easy to trigger on the north half of the compass. Sunnier terrain features seemed stubborn to human triggers as the mature melt forms allow meltwater to drain efficiently. Meltwater penetrated deep into the snowpack on northerly aspects below treeline, and Wet Slabs seemed like a possibility, although I didn't observe any natural activity. I considered descending northerly terrain on Snodgrass, but the snowpack was far too wet to risk a surprise Wet Slab avalanche.
Original CBAC ob: https://cbavalanchecenter.org/view-observations/#/view/observations/fad0b8b7-a9f5-4892-b31e-3e80eca017f7
Snodgrass and pavent avalanche obs
Typical Snodgrass skin track and walk above northerly-facing terrain. Glassed terrain along the 135 corridor.
Avalanches
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Date | # | Elev | Asp | Type | Trig | SizeR | SizeD | Problem Type | Location |
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04/12/2025
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2 | <TL | NE | WL | AS/c | D1.5 | Loose Wet |
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Date and Time
04/12/2025 -
12:00pm
(known)
Location
38.932
-106.985
Start Zone Elevation
10,800 ft
Avalanche Comments
I could not see the debris as it went over a blind roll. I could hear the snow moving as I saw medium-sized trees shake. Coding is a best guess without seeing the debris. |
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04/12/2025
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1 | TL | NE | WL | N | D1.5 | Loose Wet |
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Date and Time
04/12/2025 -
12:00pm
(estimated)
Location
38.932
-106.985
Start Zone Elevation
11,600 ft
Avalanche Comments
I have glassed this terrain 3 days in a row, so I have some confidence that it ran today. |
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04/12/2025
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1 | <TL | NE | WL | AS/c | D2 | Loose Wet |
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Date and Time
04/12/2025 -
12:00pm
(known)
Location
38.932
-106.985
Start Zone Elevation
10,700 ft
Avalanche Comments
This avalanche gouged to the ground. This slope previously avalanched this winter. It moved faster than expected, likely a product of a saturated snowpack. |
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04/12/2025
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1 | >TL | NE | WL | N | D1 | Loose Wet |
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Date and Time
04/12/2025 -
12:00pm
(estimated)
Location
38.932
-106.985
Start Zone Elevation
11,900 ft
Avalanche Comments
This small, loose avalanche was not present when I skied through the area on 4/11 at 1pm. |
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Multiple Avalanches
Snowpack
I targeted northerly facing slopes up through 11,000 feet. Loose avalanches were fairly easy to trigger here as meltwater hangs in the smaller-grained, winter-like snowpack. I dug a profile near a location I dug a week ago (meltwater had not reached basal weak layers as of 4/5) and found that meltwater has reached basal weak layers at a depth of 180cm (6 feet, no previous avalanche activity). Lots of water was hanging out in the upper snowpack, with water oozing into the rounding depth hoar below. Ice columns were in the top few inches of depth hoar but did not reach the ground (see image).
Southerly-facing terrain below treeline lost support by noon, making it challenging to descend in the early afternoon (trapdoor). .
I triggered two loose avalanches on north and northeast aspects below treeline. One gouged into the snowpack (the slope is shallow from avalanche activity earlier this winter). A few new loose avalanches that ran today near and above treeline on northeast slopes.
Weather
Warm temperatures and occasionally gusty winds below treeline. Increasing clouds in the late afternoon. cloud cover: clear; snow avail for transport: none