Observations – South Fork Eagle River – North Bowl area

Obvious signs of instability:

• D2 (could bury, injure, or kill a person) human triggered avalanche across the valley in the 2 Bowls area from January 2, 2015 (click here for more info)
• Concerning snowpit test results that correlate with the aforementioned avalanche

Weather:

• Partly cloudy skies, calm wind with some light gusts on the ridge, temps in the upper teens

Surface conditions:

• 2000-2500′: ~5″ of faceting snow from 12/31/14-1/1/15 with large, standing surface hoar at the surface
• 2500-3000′: ~5″ of faceting snow from 12/31/14-1/1/15 with medium sized surface hoar at the surface (standing in sheltered locations at this elevation, lain over in exposed areas)
• 3000-4000′: ~5″ of faceting snow from 12/31/14-1/1/15 with most surface hoar lain over or blown away

Discussion:

With a thin, weak snowpack that has proved susceptible to human triggered full depth avalanches being mindful of terrain traps like Hunter Pass itself is important for avoiding the consequences of even a small avalanche being compounded (there were many tracks right above the nastiest part of the terrain trap; snowpit test results in this area were concerning):

Here’s a look at the snowpack and snowpit test results from ~500′ above Hunter Pass (the obvious line in the bottom third of the snowpack is old buried surface hoard that is now compressed, capped by a thin rain crust, and not appearing to reactive in snowpit tests):

Sastrugi along the E-W ridge above North Bowl:

A look at the snowpack and snowpit test results from North Bowl itself (skier’s left side):

Another look at the January 2, 2015 D2 (could bury, injure, or kill a person) human triggered avalanche in the 2 Bowls area of Harp Mountain off Hiland Road (appears to have ran ~1000-1200′ with a crown ~200-300′ wide and 1-3′ deep); pay attention to the terrain trap where all the debris from this slide has deposited (likely several feet deep in places):