Avalanche: Hatcher Pass

Location: Microdot Ridge

Date:

January 23, 2018 12:00pm

Observer:

Chris Venegas

Route & General Observations

Microdot ridge and the Independence Mine Bowl showing 5-8″ new snow, dry and light powder, below 4,000′. 3-6″ above 4,000′. Accumulation was rapid very early this morning.
Small, D1 loose dry slides in Ray Wallace Chutes, triggering off of exposed rock and cliffs. About a dozen of these small natural slides across the slope.

Avalanche Details

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Trigger	Natural	Remote Trigger	0
Avalanche Type	Dry Loose Snow	Aspect	Northwest
Elevation	4500ft	Slope Angle	unknown
Crown Depth	unknown	Width	unknown
Vertical Run	unknown

Red Flags

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Obvious signs of instability

Recent Avalanches?	Yes
Collapsing (Whumphing)?	No
Cracking (Shooting cracks)?	No

Observer Comments

very few small collapses on wind loaded west aspects had no signs of propogation.

Weather & Snow Characteristics

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Weather

5-8" new snow, dry and light powder, below 4,000'. 3-6" above 4,000'. Accumulation was rapid very early this morning.
No Wind
Mid-teens F

Snow surface

dry cold new powder on hard wind crust. New snow can't keep you off the crust in deep turns or on steeper aspects and higher elevations

Location

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