Pro Field Report

Basic Information

Observation Details

Observation Date:
March 1, 2021
Submitted:
March 1, 2021
Observer:
SAC - Scott Savage
Zone or Region:
Galena Summit and Eastern Mtns
Location:
roadside glassing obs Ketchum to Easley/Prairie Ck (roadside: all elevations, many aspects but minimal on N-NE)

Signs of Unstable Snow

Recent Avalanches? 
Yes
Cracking? 
None Experienced
Collapsing? 
None Experienced
no first-hand snow observations other than on the valley floor

Bottom Line

I saw some isolated, small, wet loose natural activity in the southern Boulder Mtns on upper elevation slopes directly facing the sun. I only saw a handful of slides, but one of them stepped down to a 1-2 ft thick slab in an area with a very thin snowpack (failed deep in the shallow snowpack). With continued clear skies + warm temperatures in store all week, this probably won't be the last slab we see triggered from above by smaller loose snow slides or cornice fall.

Media/Attachments

Snowmobilers starting to dabble in exposed alpine terrain on the east side of Silver Peak in the Boulder Mtns.

Advanced Information

Weather Summary

Cloud Cover:
Clear
Temperature:
30s F at valley floor N of Ketchum
Wind:
Light , SW
New/Recent Snowfall:
None

Breezy light to moderate winds in Phantom Hill area (always breezy there), light to calm winds otherwise. Minimal snow is easily available for transport.

Avalanche Observations

 #  Date Location Size Type Bed Sfc Depth Trigger Photos Details
1 Mar 1, 2021
(+/- 1 day) 		Easley Peak
SE 9900ft 		D2 U-Unknown 1.5ft N-Natural
A small wet loose slide stepped down on a SE aspect near 9900' on Easley Peak, causing a bigger slab avalanche. This area had a very thin - and likely very weak - snowpack.
Closer view of the crown (Easley Peak, SE near 9900').
Report
Easley Peak
 #  Date Location Size Type Bed Sfc Depth Trigger Comments Photo
3 Easley Peak
SE alpine 		D1 WL N-Natural Several small wet loose dribbles on Easley Peak on S and SE aspects. Image is of the largest wet loose in that area (excluding the slab avalanche noted above). The others were smaller.
Relatively small natural wet loose slide on Easley Peak (S-SE, 9900'). This avalanche would not have buried a person, but it was probably large enough to push someone around and injure them.
1 Newman Ck
E alpine 		D1.5 U N-Natural Debris from a slide in Newman Ck, unknown release date and unknown size due to poor light/time of day. It's hard to see if this was a series of loose slides, but it appears there is a crown just below the ridgeline and another in the cliffs mid-track?
Debris in alpine terrain in the Newman Ck drainage.

Snowpack Observations

No formal snowpack observations.

Terrain Use

Roadside glassing on a "day off".