Observation: Public
Observation Details
Name:
Matt PrimomoObservation Date:
April 16, 2021Submitted:
April 17, 2021Zone or Region:
Stevens PassActivity:
Skiing/SnowboardingLocation:
Lake ValhallaTriggered Avalanches
Did you trigger any avalanches?
YesWas it intentional?
YesAvalanche Type:
Wet LooseSize:
Size 1: Relatively harmless to peopleElevation:
5800Aspect:
EComments:
Easily triggered WL on smaller slopes early in the morning. These had the ability to turn into large slides in larger terrain features, and were gouging around 1ft deep.Observed Avalanches
Did you observe any avalanches?
YesAvalanche Type:
OtherSize:
Size 3: Could bury and destroy a car, damage a truck, destroy a wood frame house, or break a few treesElevation:
5600Aspect:
SEComments:
Very large, very recent D3 or D4 glide slab off Kyes Peak, estimated 10ft+ deep.Photo:
Signs of Unstable Snow
Observations
Traveled from 3600ft to 5800ft on south and west aspects near Lake Valhalla. Started at 0800 and left by 1200. Clear and warm, hot in the sun.
A meltdown is underway, and snow is actively shedding from steep slopes/rocks in a variety of wet avalanche types. Cornices were dripping on east aspects at 10:30. Wet loose slides to D2+ were observed, and smaller ones were easily triggered on E-S aspects by mid morning. Recent wet loose activity has wrapped around the compass and are occurring even on higher, north facing slopes. Slides are beginning to gouge deeper on most aspects.
Continued glide activity observed with a very large recent glide off Kyes Peak (see above) and snow peeling off rocky areas in the drainage where I traveled.
Found little to no refreeze below ~5,000ft and in the trees. A superficial, somewhat supportable freeze was found above 5,000ft on SW aspects but any crust became unsupportable after about an hour in the sun. Boot pen was over 2.5ft deep through wet snow once through any crust. We stayed out of a steep gully feature where we could see glide cracks had opened up. We left the mountains minding overhead dangers, and our knees in the deep, manky snow.
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