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Avalanches

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Dr.Dro
Posts: 190 - Karma: 16
I was in the BC of northern new mexico touring for about 3 hours up this peak. Prior to the trip we looked at the snow conditions and dug multiple pits and decided to keep it under 30* on open slopes since there was about a foot of faceting with 3- 3.5 feet of well consolidated snow on top of it. We would test for stability on steeper terrain if we were to encounter any.

As we were traveling up this ridge we notice that there was quite a bit of wind affected snow and cornices. All of a suden a cornice brok lose likely from exposure to sun, exposed rocks and our weight on the snow even though we were a good distance away from the danger since we noticed the cornice. Then the the whole shoot broke down to the rocks, the faceted snow sending a 50 yard wide slab down an avalanche path taking down trees and gained speed very quickly and didn't stop till the valley below. We were not at all planing on taking that route down, since it was very steep and would take about 7 hours or touring to to get back. Other than that there were no signs of slab avalanches that we saw.

Very neat to see and it was the first time I have seen a big avalanche anyone else out there experienced one up close?
Jan 4 2013 7:45PM
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clive_bixby
Posts: 1834 - Karma: 499
What's a facet?
Jan 4 2013 7:55PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51263 - Karma: 157,455
Idk if it's my head hurting or people are really shitty at telling stories, but I have no idea what people are saying in these last few posts I've read. Yes I understand about snow and avalanches.


Jan 4 2013 7:58PM
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Dr.Dro
Posts: 190 - Karma: 16
Old snow that loses its moisture turns to facets. Its a grainy and loose. Just like an old over used vagina.
Jan 4 2013 8:37PM
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Errl
Posts: 2082 - Karma: 451
I'd imagine it was pretty humbling to see an avalanche in person. However, I am from PA and we don't have them here.
Jan 4 2013 9:24PM
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accualyisdolan
Posts: 3295 - Karma: -192
Nice analogy
Jan 4 2013 9:27PM
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the-honeypossum
Posts: 529 - Karma: 130

iv seen one break loose while snowmobieling. cornis just broke off and there she went. scary shit. it shook the ground and i watched it whipe out pretty good size trees. makes you respect the mountians quite a bit.

Jan 5 2013 3:29AM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
just last week a friend of mine got dragged down a good 20m in a fresh powder avalanche in a steep section of a small couloir, got buried till his waist and lost one of my poles, so happy that he came out unharmed, pretty good wakeup call for all of us ....
Jan 5 2013 5:39AM
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90053
Posts: 2565 - Karma: 3,728
saw a couple of really massive ones in val d'sere before christmas, sadly we heard later on that someone had died in the bigger of the two, needless to say i was absolutely shitting myself just looking at the deposition and point of fracture, it swept clean down a small valley
Jan 5 2013 2:31PM
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90053
Posts: 2565 - Karma: 3,728
i should point out those weren't 'in motion', i've only seen a couple of small ones as they happen, still pretty scary
Jan 5 2013 2:37PM
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VD.
Posts: 4054 - Karma: 4,564
Slope Cut from yesterday left this, bear in mind I'm 6'0"

Click for larger image


Jan 5 2013 2:50PM
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