Northwest Avalanche Center

Observation: Public

All Observations

Observation Details

Name:
Alan Ricker
Observation Date:
March 9, 2021
Submitted:
March 9, 2021
Zone or Region:
Mt Hood
Activity:
Skiing/Snowboarding
Location:
West of Mile Out of Bounds at Timberline

Signs of Unstable Snow

None reported

Observations

There is a large snow drift & huge hole in the snow's surface that has been forming all winter and is now seems 30ft deep. It is a major hazard that someone could easily drop into if they aren't closely paying attention.

The route is commonly used side country ski down from Mile lift.
GPS coordinates are approximately "45.34052, -121.71648" at 6500ft elevation.

If someone were to fall into this hole it isn't clear how you would get them out unless you had cravasse rescue equipment.
There isn't some obvious landmark that you can look at for either.

Is this hole commonly formed at this spot? Looking at the terrain in the area, it isn't clear why the hole is forming.

Media

The snow drift is new from last storm, but the hole has been there since at least January.
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