Observation: Turnagain

Location: Sunburst Ob #1

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

Standard uptrack to 3000′. We dug in multiple spots along the way (see Sunburst ob #2) with no results in any of the snowpack tests or signs of instability. Then while traveling along the ridge at 3000′ we experienced a very loud whumpf(collapse). We both dug into the spots we were standing and in both pits we found 1mm facets over a crust. In one pit it was under 100cm of snow (pit#1) in the other under 30cm of snow (pit#2). In both pits there was propagation in this layer pit # 1: ECTP 14 down 100 cm, pit #2: ECTP 9 down 30cm. We then discovered cracking onto the the adjacent slope that we had triggered with the whumpf.

Red Flags
Red flags are simple visual clues that are a sign of potential avalanche danger. Please record any sign of red flags below.
Obvious signs of instability
Recent Avalanches?Yes
Collapsing (Whumphing)?Yes
Cracking (Shooting cracks)?Yes
Observer Comments

Traveling along the ridge at 3000' we experienced a very loud whumpf(collapse). We both dug into the spots we were standing and in both pits we found facets over a crust. In one pit it was under 100cm of snow in the other under 30cm of snow. We then discovered cracking onto the the adjacent slope that we had triggered with the whumpf.
We did observe fresh debris in one of the paths across the Arm from the Glacier Ranger district office and in one of the Kern slide paths.

Photos & Video
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