Observation: Public

Observation Date:

January 23, 2021

Submitted:

January 24, 2021

Zone or Region:

West South

Activity:

Skiing/Snowboarding

Location:

Nisqually Chute

Did you trigger any avalanches?

Yes

Was it intentional?

No

Avalanche Type:

Wet Loose

Size:

Size 1: Relatively harmless to people

Elevation:

7800'

Aspect:

S

Comments:

Skiier triggered a D1 loose wet on a steep solar aspect near the top of the Nisqually chute. Slide entrained a good amount of wet snow and slid the entire slope, without fanning out much. Skiier was able to ski out of slide path safely.

Photo:

None reported

Snow surface conditions on the Muir snowfield above McClure Rock were generally a mix of wind-exposed ice and windboard, with pockets of stiffer wind slabs only a few inches deep. On steeper solar aspects above 7000', the snow was soft enough to edge during the afternoon, and transitioned to lighter powder down low with a thin solar-affected crust on top that was sticky where sun affected. We came across larger (D2) avalanche debris lower on the side of the Nisqually drainage, likely from earlier avalanche cycle. This could make for challenging ski traversing until a couple feet of new snow comes around.

Avalanche debris observed in traversing out near Pebble Creek around 6400'