Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center

slope angle estimated

Total SWE 13.15 cm

light wind slab

Nice dry soft snow on ~25-32° (slope angle), northerly slopes between 10,000 and 11,000ft. ~120 to 187cm is March snow (26"). Note A: This was a shovel tilt test for top 40cm of snow, with result hard @152 (~Q3). Note B: NSFs formed in Jan./Feb. There was also some tree debris in the NSFs, likely from the February wind storms.

Three snowboarders were very glad that they did not hit any rocks on this slope.

The cracking and collapsing was just to the north on more ENE slope, about 150m away. Due to collapsing, cracking and PST 35/100 End, we decided not to ski the steep avalanche chute. Note A: Sudden Collapse in facets near buried log.

CT17 Q1 @25cm: Sudden Collapse on Facets around a boulder. Could not reproduce results with a second CT on other half of the boulder.

40°+ starting zones above this pit were mostly boulders and cinders. The area has been wind scoured.