Observation: Public
Observation Details
Name:
Dane SetzerObservation Date:
January 22, 2022Submitted:
January 22, 2022Zone or Region:
Snoqualmie PassActivity:
Skiing/SnowboardingLocation:
East Face of Chair PeakObserved Avalanches
Did you observe any avalanches?
YesAvalanche Type:
OtherSize:
Size 2: Could bury, injure, or kill a personElevation:
Started at 5.5k, ran down to basin at 5kAspect:
SEComments:
East Face of Chair Peak. Glide Avalanche that slid off the rock slabs above the basin, ran down to the basin floor across the boot and ski track descent route for NE Buttress and NF of Chair. The slide occured at approx 3pm, which was about an hour after the face had gone back into shade for the day after being exposed to sun for the morning hours.Signs of Unstable Snow
Observations
Snowpack on northerly aspects seemed stable (no propagation or slab-like features) while climbing the NE Buttress on Chair, but the avalanche on the East face slid on very similar terrain as the NE Buttress route. Appeared to slide all the way down on the rock slab. Also observed pockets of wind slab on North aspects below Chair, between the face and snow lake. A quick and dirty hand shear test produced a failure at about a 3cm depth, but we also observed several ski tracks from yesterday and today crossing several slabs with little evidence of any reactivity. Slab depth varied between 1cm and 5cm on the upper slopes right below the NF of Chair. There was strong SW wind coming over the ridge in the morning, but died off in the afternoon. Several rollerballs and very small wet loose avalanches were present anywhere the sun was exposed to the new snow for a couple hours or more.
Media
