Pro Field Report

Basic Information

Observation Details

Observation Date:
January 12, 2022
Submitted:
January 12, 2022
Observer:
SAC - VandenBos (off duty)
Zone or Region:
Galena Summit and Eastern Mtns
Location:
Stanley Foothills (6,500-7,600, E-SE-S-SW-W)

Signs of Unstable Snow

Recent Avalanches? 
None Observed
Cracking? 
None Experienced
Collapsing? 
None Experienced

Advanced Information

Weather Summary

Cloud Cover:
Clear

Basically clear skies (occasional small pockets of high clouds covering a few percent of the sky), calm wind, warm ambient air temps, yuck. You can come back if you like, winter.

Avalanche Observations

 #  Date Location Size Type Bed Sfc Depth Trigger Photos Details
1 Jan 6, 2022
(+/- 3 days) 		Imogene
N 9900ft 		D3 HS-Hard Slab N-Natural
This very large avalanche released sometime around Jan 6th on the N face of Imogene Pk in the Sawtooths. Based on the depth, it's very likely that it failed on old October snow near the base of the snowpack.
Report
Imogene

Snowpack Observations

Quick glass and fitness ski, no formal obs. Surfaces warming rapidly, particularly above the cold pool of air in the valley bottom. Even very low angle slopes (single digits) that cant even slightly towards the sun were wet by noon. Would not be surprised to see/hear about some bigger wet stuff going off up high on SE-S-SW. My first day of skin glopping for 2022. I suspect that finding good low-angle pow on solars ended today. Oh well, skiing breakable is fun.

I observed a few more avalanches that failed on S and SE in the Sawtooths (1/3 based on depth), continuing the pattern solar pattern. Based on large slides at head of Fishhook at and above Goat Lake this layer was weak enough to produce wide propagation around o E/NE. Also observed very large slide on N/NE face of Imogene that seems very likely to have failed on 12/11.