Detailed Observation

Date2021-02-28
LocationValdez
ObserverAllen Dahl
AvalancheN

General Observations

Small creek/stairway up to 5200′ 
Broken/overcast skies slowly clearing to few clouds. We observed active wind transport above tree line from moderate easterly winds. These easterly winds were primarily loading westerly slopes. We saw evidence of small natural avalanches on small wind loaded westerly aspects, and D2 avalanches on some of the large WNW chutes of Diamond. On the way up, we tested small westerly test slopes and were able to initiate seemingly touchy wind slabs/cornice breaks near 2900′, and smaller and slightly more stubborn ones near 3800′. We turned around about 200′ from the ridge due to concerns about increasingly wind affected snow. The first skier down triggered a very shallow wind slab that propagated ~10′. Further down the chute, the 3rd skier down triggered a ~30′ wide 6″ deep wind slab that ran about 150′. Finally, a small wind slab was triggered in a wind loaded NW gully near 2500′.

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Observed Avalanche Activity