Buff Pass: SPC training & Cat Scratch slide
- Posted on December 31, 2020
Avalanche Danger
Persistent Slab on NW-SE NTL&ATL likely, small to large in size.
Slopes steeper than around 30 degrees facing north through east to southeast are the most likely places to trigger an avalanche. Higher elevation slopes have a thicker slab and will be more dangerous. Even outside of obvious avalanche start zones, you can trigger large avalanches from low on a slope, or from a distance away. Many will break near the ground, entraining most of the snowpack.
Ski Partners
Route
Snowmobiled as a group from Dry Lake to upper Bitch Creek via the Aspen Bowl area, Pizza Drop, and a detour in the meadows above Grouse to practice building emergency shelters.
Weather
Mostly cloudy, calm, with temp ranging 15F at 9am at the Dry Lake trailhead to low 20’s at mid-day around 9500′
HSN24
0"
HSN48
0"
Precip
Nil
Sky
Mostly cloudy
Winds
Calm
Temps
15-20F
Ski Pen
25cm
Foot Pen
100cm
Snowpack Observations
Generally less than 1m of depth, with approx. 35cm of new snow from the past 2 storm cycles and a mid-pack capable of supporting the weight of a skier. The lower-pack is weak and faceted. Multiple persistent weak layers are present throughout, including buried surface hoar and facets.
Noted multiple large collapses and were told by Jeffery of some recent avalanche activity – apparently Jeffrey’s group remotely triggered a slide in Bitch creek a couple days ago (Diamond face, again?).
Today our group remotely triggered a 2′ slab (approx. 100′ x 300′) while standing on the flats above the slope. The slide broke at the basal facet interface and ran to valley bottom.
