Skiers in the Hellroaring Creek area of the Centennials got a good view of the aftermath of an avalanche warning on March 14 and 15. They saw many avalanches that broke 3-5 feet deep. This is one of many west-facing steep slopes above the creek that ran. Photo: A. Dunn
Skiers in the Hellroaring Creek area of the Centennials got a good view of the aftermath of an avalanche warning on March 14 and 15. They saw many avalanches that broke 3-5 feet deep. This is one of many west-facing steep slopes above the creek that ran. Photo: A. Dunn
Skiers in the Hellroaring Creek area of the Centennials got a good view of the aftermath of an avalanche warning on March 14 and 15. They saw many avalanches that broke 3-5 feet deep. Photo: A. Dunn
Skiers in the Hellroaring Creek area of the Centennials got a good view of the aftermath of an avalanche warning on March 14 and 15. They saw many avalanches that broke 3-5 feet deep. Photo: A. Dunn
Skiers in the Hellroaring Creek area of the Centennials got a good view of the aftermath of an avalanche warning on March 14 and 15. They saw many avalanches that broke 3-5 feet deep. Photo: A. Dunn
Toured into the hellroaring creek 3/15-3/19. Snowing and blowing hard on 3/15 till approx 1500 hrs when wind veered to the north and skies cleared for the rest of the trip with generally cold temps and light winds. Solar aspects heating up in the day with extensive sun crusting on steeper slopes facing the south half of the compass. Observed aftermath of extensive avy cycle(s) one of which prior party reported occurred approx 3/10-11 at higher elevations on Nemesis (above 8000 ft.). And another on lower elevation steep slopes above creek at approx 7500 ft that may have ran during the storm on 3/14 as less snow covered that debris than the higher elev runouts. Everything observed were on westerly aspects and deep slab avalanches breaking approx 90-120 cm down. We did not investigate the weak layer. Suspect it to be the crust facet combo observed by a previous party in early March. Heavy wet snow possibly mixed with rain on 3/14-15 likely tipped the scales for these lower elevation slopes below 7500. No signs of instability of the new storm/wind slab during the five day trip, however we did get a few large collapses but these were isolated to heavily wind loaded areas in more exposed terrain. No other natural or human triggered avalanches observed during the trip. Many machiners were out testing steep slopes after the storm and we saw no signs of any human triggered avalanches. We did not measure height of snow but judging by the buried hut and the non-motorized boundary signs barely poking out of the snow, thinking about 10 feet deep at 8000 ft.
Snow bikers saw the debris and crown of a large avalanche that broke on a heavily wind-loaded slope on Mt Jefferson in the Centennial Mountains. Look to the upper left of the photo to see what they estimated as a 6' deep crown. Photo: R. Gravatt
From the FAA road up Sawtelle Peak outside Island Park we were able to see many crown lines and debris piles from the last 2 days of Avalanche Warnings. Most avalanches involved new snow, but there was 1 deep avalanche on Mt. Jefferson's east face that was large (D3). The FAA did avalanche control and an avalauncher round triggered a small, but deep slide (2-5' deep) and a larger explosive on another slope yielded no results. We saw 8 backcountry avalanches from the road. These were east and north facing, the only aspects available for viewing.
The snowfall totaled 3' and it will take a few days for the snowpack to become more stable. In the meantime, be patient and stay off of steep slopes.
From the FAA road up Sawtelle Peak outside Island Park we were able to see many crown lines and debris piles from the last 2 days of Avalanche Warnings. Most avalanches involved new snow, but there was 1 deep avalanche on Mt. Jefferson's east face that was large (D3). The FAA did avalanche control and an avalauncher round triggered a small, but deep slide (2-5' deep) and a larger explosive on another slope yielded no results. We saw 8 separate avalanches from the road. These were east and north facing, the only aspects available for viewing.
