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A week free of avalanche accidents was also largely free of changing backcountry conditions in the Vail and Summit County zone.
There weren't many avalanche observations posted to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center's information database from the Vail and Summit County zone after Summit Huts Association executive director Mike Zobbe relayed his findings near Janet's Cabin by Copper Mountain and Vail Pass on Tuesday. He triggered a small but heavy slide below treeline without being caught in it.
Nonetheless, avalanche danger remains considerable on all but south, southwest and west slopes in the mountains from Steamboat Springs in northern Colorado south to Pikes Peak near Colorado Springs, and includes the Vail, Aspen and Gunnison areas.
“The slabs are stiffening making them harder to trigger, but slabs that do release have the potential to be large and destructive,” forecaster John Snook said. “These avalanches can be triggered remotely from low-angle terrain well below starting zones. Do not let stiffening slabs and decreasing signs of glaring instability lure you into dangerous terrain.”
No new snow fell in the Summit and Vail zone, which means a snowpack that remains largely the same. What's changing is the stiffening and strengthening of existing layers on top of the weak, faceted layers between the snowpack and the ground surface.
Meanwhile, the storm that dumped up to 4 feet of snow in some Front Range areas on Friday and Saturday deposited it on top of weak layers. Human-triggered slides would break down into the deep layers, producing large avalanches with significant consequences, CAIC officials said.
Triggering a persistent slab remains the primary avalanche concern in the High Country, Snook said. Slopes steeper than 35 degrees facing northwest through east to southeast at all elevations are prone.
“Avalanches are becoming harder to trigger, but they are also becoming larger and more destructive when they do release,” Snook said. “It is difficult to assign an avalanche danger rating during these conditions.”
There weren't many avalanche observations posted to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center's information database from the Vail and Summit County zone after Summit Huts Association executive director Mike Zobbe relayed his findings near Janet's Cabin by Copper Mountain and Vail Pass on Tuesday. He triggered a small but heavy slide below treeline without being caught in it.
Nonetheless, avalanche danger remains considerable on all but south, southwest and west slopes in the mountains from Steamboat Springs in northern Colorado south to Pikes Peak near Colorado Springs, and includes the Vail, Aspen and Gunnison areas.
“The slabs are stiffening making them harder to trigger, but slabs that do release have the potential to be large and destructive,” forecaster John Snook said. “These avalanches can be triggered remotely from low-angle terrain well below starting zones. Do not let stiffening slabs and decreasing signs of glaring instability lure you into dangerous terrain.”
No new snow fell in the Summit and Vail zone, which means a snowpack that remains largely the same. What's changing is the stiffening and strengthening of existing layers on top of the weak, faceted layers between the snowpack and the ground surface.
Meanwhile, the storm that dumped up to 4 feet of snow in some Front Range areas on Friday and Saturday deposited it on top of weak layers. Human-triggered slides would break down into the deep layers, producing large avalanches with significant consequences, CAIC officials said.
Triggering a persistent slab remains the primary avalanche concern in the High Country, Snook said. Slopes steeper than 35 degrees facing northwest through east to southeast at all elevations are prone.
“Avalanches are becoming harder to trigger, but they are also becoming larger and more destructive when they do release,” Snook said. “It is difficult to assign an avalanche danger rating during these conditions.”
