Observation: Public
Observation Details
Name:
NH-SObservation Date:
December 23, 2020Submitted:
December 23, 2020Zone or Region:
Stevens PassActivity:
Skiing/SnowboardingLocation:
Nason RidgeObserved Avalanches
Did you observe any avalanches?
YesAvalanche Type:
Soft SlabSize:
Size 3: Could bury and destroy a car, damage a truck, destroy a wood frame house, or break a few treesElevation:
6400-6800'Aspect:
WComments:
Several different types of avalanches occurred during the storm cycle that wound down 21-22 December 2020. Observed numerous SS-N-R2-D2 on east to south to southwest at 6400-6700', an SS-NC-R2-D2 multiple southerly 6500' L-N-R1-D2. One notable slide was on east at 6000' and had a crown that was 300+ feet wide and ran 300 plus vertical feet SS-N-R2-D2.5.Photo:
Signs of Unstable Snow
Observations
I skinned sheltered, southerly trees to the ridge above Rock Lake where I observed several large (D2-2.5) dry loose, storm slab, and small wet avalanches in consequential terrain on aspects west to south to east. I proceeded west booting over a variety of rime and melt-freeze crusts interspersed with shallow (300cm at this location and I stopped digging just below the 9 December crust/facets at 125-130cm.
Weak layers of note were the 9 December rain crust with rounding facets above at 125cm. This potential deep, persistent slab layer is beneath the recent and stout 20 December rain crust (40cm), and there are small facets (50cm) below this crust that may be worth tracking.
Skiing solo, I eyed a few shots down the ridge and into the bowl, but with recent avalanches having failed on multiple layers, and fading light, I retraced my ascent route on the ridge and skied a mix of cold smoke wind pockets and rain/rime crusts back to my rig.
Noted widespread surface hoar to 5500'.
Media
