Chutes n ladder, Cloud Brown

Location Name: Forecaster Observation - Mt. Brown Observation date: Sunday, January 27, 2019 - 13:30	Is this an Avalanche Observation: Yes

Observation made by: Forecaster

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Quick Observation

Day off tour up the Mt. Brown Trail in search of the "Mountain" in "Mount Brown." Alas, twas still just a cloud.

Snow showers dropped 1+" of graupel and snow by midday-early afternoon.
Winds light, SW->NW. No signs of wind transport
Very poor visibility kept us in the B&W terrain of the burn.
Skied consequental, poorly-supported south- and southeast-facing terrain w no signs of instability other than small, short-running sluffs.

Travel Details

Region:

Glacier National Park - McDonald Lake Area

Route Description:

Cloud Brown trail to lookout, then burn, chutes and ladders down to Snyder Lakes trail and out.

Activity:

Skiing

Snowpack Details

Snowpack and Weather Details:

Terrain

Elevation of observation:

3500-5000 ft

5000-6500 ft

Above 6500 ft

Aspect(s) of observation:

Persistent Weak Layers:

Facets or Faceted Crust

New Snow in the past 24 hours:

1.50in.

More comments about the snowpack and weather:

Snow started ~10:30 AM. Continued into early afternoon. Foggy midday at Lookout; Lake McDonald partly cloudy by early afternoon but still looked very grey over Cloud Brown. Crust < 8-10" recent snow to about 6,000 feet. Planar shears in hand block tests above crust in hand shears. No cracking or collapsing, though we weren't breaking trail. Recent snow moist to about 5,100 feet in AM. Glue in the early afternoon. Small, skier-triggered sluffs (D1) on very steep SE-facing slopes 6-6,500 ft. Not slabby.

Blowing Snow:

None

Wind Speed:

Light (Twigs in motion)

Wind Direction:

Northwest

Air temperature:

Below Freezing

Snow line:

Snow < 5000' moist in AM; glue in PM

Sky Cover:

Obscured by fog, etc (X)

Highest Precipitation Rate:

Moderate Snowfall (S2)

Avalanche Details

Avalanche Details:

Date and Time of Avalanche:

Sunday, January 27, 2019 - 12:45

Avalanche Type:

Loose Dry/ Sluff

Failure Plane/Weak Layer:

Within storm snow

More information or comments about the avalanche:

Skier-triggered loose dry sluffs while descending steep chutes and ramps

Trigger

Trigger:

skier

Trigger Modifier:

Intentionally Triggered

Terrain

Start Zone Slope Angle:

Aspect:

Southeast

Starting Elevation:

6,300

Size

Destructive Size:

D1 Relatively harmless to people.

Relative Size:

R1 Very Small

Avalanche Length (Vertical Run):

50ft.

Avalanche Location:

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