Name:
Julia
Observation Date:
January 31, 2021
Submitted:
February 1, 2021
Zone or Region:
Snoqualmie Pass
Activity:
Skiing/Snowboarding
Location:
Alpental/Snow Lake BC
Did you trigger any avalanches?
Yes
Was it intentional?
No
Avalanche Type:
Soft Slab
Size:
Size 1: Relatively harmless to people
Elevation:
4240
Aspect:
N
Comments:
Avalanche occurred at 12:30p on a North facing aspect in the trees. Crown indicates this was a wind slab with an uneven spread of wind deposit. The slope in question had convexity and started off as 35degrees and increased to 40degres. Skier triggered a weak point and all snow above the 1/13 crust slide, but he was able to ski out and not get buried. Other members of the party had previously skied parallel to that track on a slope that was closer to 30degrees but had concavity - no avalanche was triggered there.
Photo:
Did you observe any avalanches?
Yes
Avalanche Type:
Soft Slab
Size:
Size 1: Relatively harmless to people
Elevation:
4240
Aspect:
N
Comments:
None reported
We started from Alpental, skinned up to Snow Lake Divide, skied down and crossed Snow Lake a bit to an untracked area and skied down the N Face to near the Rock Creek Trail. As we went up we did hand shear tests and were able to get clear and complete wind slabs to break around Snow Lake Divide. The snow was wet and heavy, more cohesive than it had been a day before. We witnessed lots of roller balls that would form when we pushed snow away to make tracks.