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AVALANCHE PICTURE PAGE
This page is to present general information to enhance public awareness and information concerning avalanche conditions in the Valdez and Thompson Pass area.  It is not a substitute for your own assessment of conditions.  As with any avalanche date concerning Valdez, variability rules and this data is considered a small snapshot of a vast area.

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April 10, 2009  11:30pm
MODERATE
27F/Flurries/SE5G20
SCHOOLBUS/3400'/NW/35degree/Pen-14"/Snow depth=5 foot/Sample Site -Excellent
By comparing this pic with the pit pic from March 18 below, settlement is obvious as we have had little new snow to add layers. I did find a cracker crust associated with the ash layer just below the surface new snow (1-2"), sitting on packed old snow over some weaker facets but found all layers cohesive and no sheers were noted.  The 2 foot layer of weaker facets will come into play depending on a variety of factors. But since this is a north aspect (little direct solar impact suspect any changes will be gradual and the snowpack in Schoolbus will settle, consolidate and remain cohesive through our spring transition over the next few weeks..  Again...this sample was a just taste of the area and our skin today revealed quite a bit variability but generally favoring Moderate rating after further hasty pits and ski cuts over kickturns.

 
 

MARCH 30 -1pm  (4 PICS)
27-Mile Icefall (base -preglacier)Sample Site Good/
25F/Snow/E5G15/2500-3800Sunspots/south aspect/25-38 degrees/FPen-12/Ash present on surface.
General Obs

1/8"  Redoubt ash layer diffused,  3-6" under new snow (3-30) deposited on PM March 28th. Exposed in winded areas as indicated in this 1st pictures.2nd picture shows well defined and visible layer.  Small, granular with salt and pepper textures/ 3rd picture shows creative shovel work. 4th pictures shows moderate near surface, sheer on ski cut and ash interface with new snow @ 35 degrees.Expect ash layer to have short term issues, enhancing solar effect in particular southerly aspects in the short term.  Expect dark ash layer to be at surface remainder of ski season and to accelerate snowpack melt rates .
 

MARCH 22 NOON
BALDY GULLEY SOUTH NEXT TO WORTH. CG
10F/E5-10/2500'/AK BLOCK-(AB2-Q1)/SE/38degree/FPen 2"/Sample Site - Fair/Snow depth 45"
Found pesky hard wind slab at surfacebridged over 18" old snow . This was sitting on 1" MF.  A few comparisoon tap test on columns resulted in Q1's, some on isolation.   Somewhat isolated terrain feature, thus we continued on up slope as surface slab carried our weight easily.  With surface slab removed, we got the above results.

MARCH 18 2PM
BIG ODESSEY
11F/Calm/3000/HASTY/No Sheer Test/NNW Aspect/FPen 1"/ Sample Site - GOOD
Variable density 4" surface wind slab over 2=3" new facets in upper 12"  of snowpack. Beneath this was hard icy layer to 24" well bonded to a secondary hard icy layer that pretty much ran to the ground.  Had to chop and pry to expose pit wall. Snowpack measure d 40" with variable surface conditions with mild satrugi. breakable, and dust on smooth.  Minimal scouring at upper elevations.  No natural noted on related sample aspects at this elevation though did note some Class 1's on opposing aspects favoring deposition zones below wind lips from light transport associated with wind event the past few days.  Also obvious visual evidence of older slides from previous months.

FEB 28 11AM
BENZENE ALLEY/MATTS SLOPE
22F/E5/LIGHT SNOW/1500/ Single Column/68"BASE/NW aspect/FPEN- 18"/Sample site - Good
Found Multiple layer soft wind slab in upper 12" and  CT30+@ 16" with a Q2 Rate Moderate. this was resting on a 24" hard ice layer./well bridged over old facets to the ground
Other: Cornice cut produced no results from high ridge on to main upper slope. Mixed slab near ridge route on the skin. but main slope was pretty solid.  Nice debris at base of Benzene Peak to lower flats probably from heavy slab breaking down  24" "bridged layer

FEB 19 NOON
25F/SE10G30/Snow/3000/20degree/Hasty/50" depth/West Aspect/No sheer results/FootPen 4"
Found multiple layers still resting on Mid January ice layer that is about 12-14" thick, hard and remains well bridged. Q2.5 on hand shears. Detected 1/2" MF layer at 12" and then thick layer at 18" Did not dig  Noted numerous shooting cracks on ski up in newly transported snow favoring NW aspect near steep rollover and along old wind lips.  Pitted on very low angle so no practical shear ratings.

FEBRUARY 5 NOON
15F/E5G20/PARTLYCLOUDY
LITTLE ODESSEY NORTHSIDE/3200/WNW/35
FOUND SENSITIVE SURFACE SOFT WIND SLAB THAT WAS FORMED 5 DAYS AGO.  IT WAS WIDESPREAD IN THIS AREA. THIS LAYER SHEERED ON ISOLATION W/Q1.5. THIS WAS SITTING ON THE OLD SNOW OF 12" THAT  FELL ON JAN 29TH. UNDER THAT IS A WELL CONSOLIDATED , MODERATELY HARD LAYER  OF 2 FEET WELL BRIDGED AND BONDED TO THE LOWER  SNOWPACK.   ONLY EXPOSED ABOUT 3 FEET . THE SNOWPACK AT THIS SITE MEASURED ABOUT 75". WITH THIS INFO IN HAND, I DID NOT GO ANY HIGHER IN THIS AREA DUE TO INCREASED SLAB DENSITY AS I INCREASED ELEVATION WITH INCREASING WINDS AND SNOW BEING TRANSPORTED.

JAN 29 NOON/ 25F/Snow Squalls/E15/
SCHOOLBUS (Middle of two drainages.)/2700'/WSW/32Deg
Found constant shooting cracks below skis  while on the skin with sounds of collapsing in the entire drainage as I serpentine up. Pole probes revealed very punchy crust under new snow.  Pitted 2 rains crust one thicker than the other  separated by mature facets under 8-10" new snow. This was all sitting on knife hard 24" or deeper layer . Did not dig below hard layer. Total snowpack depth was 52".  Found Q2-3 on these crust layers which failed when isolated(with only two sides cut!!)   Pit dug low, but found/felt similar conditions to 4000'.  Stayed away from angles over 35.  DOT  bomb enhanced debris field contained a few refrigerator to car size chunks.

1-26
Pitted 4000' /32 degrees /west in Gulley One with no resutls from CT30+.Temp gradient consisitent to 5 feet.  Nicely consolidated stuff in place.  8" well compacted rain layer present  @ 4 feet

1-16
Ovc(CiStr-Cu)/38F/E10G25/SW/3000'/35Deg/Little O
Isothermic,settled snowpack of 3 feet with some ground facet on one side and the other side packed to the tundra. Good to dig a pit or two as I was almost fooled with just doing one. Surface instabilities with wet snow persist and will persist with climax slides quite possible in all the usual places.(ie Snowslide Gulche, Mile 40ish....) Layers marked and well bonded but variabiliity exist in deeper snows near ground. Once it gets cold again, this should all turn to Chugach concrete, ( agree with Fredston in ADN report today on AK snowpack), This will bridge the facet issue that we have been dealing with.

12-15 BENZENE ALLEY PORT VALDEZ ARENA
North aspect/1500'/35degrees
5foot snowpack showing two well-bonded MF layers under some variable surface wind slab densities mixed with powder.

 

12-14 Moonlight BasinNatural/Wind Slab/ South/2400' following wind event 12-11 through 12-14. These types of releases were common througout TP.

 

11-28 Major issue through this season and responsible to the largest skier triggered avalanche I have ever seen around here near Nicks.  This lower layer of facets is widespread in TP

11-5 BALDY - POST WIND EVENT RELEASE