Public Field Report

Observation Details

Observed Avalanches

Signs of Unstable Snow

Observations

Web program won't let me show multiple locations- but today the typical Lower Board Ranch steep slopes ran both sides of the canyon,..appeared to be storm snow (of which we had 4ft storm total at 6,000ft since onset) on old snow surfaces. Ran today late morning and early afternoon, a couple perhaps later afternoon as temps warmed, hard to pinpoint..probably matched cycle activity on Baldy.
What is unusual is the large slope W slightly NW facing over the pasture broke in multiple places and was a larger fracture than I have seen over the past 30yrs, some appears connected..fracture was mostly upper part of slope but well below ridgeline, where there are a few steeper breakovers- 33* 34*max slope angle (6,400-6,600ft). Did not produce large debris piles except for one runner, much of the debris stayed on the slope due to lower slope angles. I did not observe any ski tracks above or beside although visibility was flat and low clouds, it is a slope that often gets skied out of bounds once there is enough snow...
There has been some "backside" skier traffic the past few days, some of who said they "thought they were on a ski run as they followed tracks"....skiers that didn't trigger slides don't know what they got away with....
Snowshoeing out in the pasture to get the picture was crotch deep and multiple collapses...