Photos

On Jan 9 We saw many avalanches of various types and ages. Some occurred today and within the last 24 hours and some were up to a week old. Avalanche types ranged from 3-6' deep and broke on weak layers near the bottom of the snowpack to shallow soft, fresh wind slabs. Photo: GNFAC

On Jan. 9 we rode away from our snowpit on Mt. Abundance we saw a fresh 3'deep x 10' wide slide that we might have remote triggered from the flat ridge above.

Jan. 9, About 45 minutes after we left a snowpit on Mt. Abundance, from a couple miles away, we saw a 4-6' deep avalanche that happened since we had been there, about 1000' up the ridge from our snowpit m. This slide was either natural or remote triggered by riders about 1000' away who were there after we were. Photo: GNFAC

Jan. 9, About 45 minutes after we left a snowpit on Mt. Abundance, from a couple miles away, we saw a 4-6' deep avalanche that happened since we had been there, about 1000' up the ridge from our snowpit m. This slide was either natural or remote triggered by riders about 1000' away who were there after we were. Photo: GNFAC

On Jan. 9 we saw this large avalanche on the north side of Fisher Mtn. that happened at some time in the last week (could have been 48 hours to a week old). Photo: GNFAC

On Jan 9, we saw one 3-4' deep slide that looked like it broke within recent new and wind-drifted snow on the north end of Henderson. Photo: GNFAC

There were a couple of avalanches on E Henderson, one that I think happened today, a few on E Sheep Mountain, some shallower avalanches, and plenty of loose dry snow moving around in the steeps. Photo: N Mattes 

There were a couple of avalanches on E Henderson, one that I think happened today, a few on E Sheep Mountain, some shallower avalanches, and plenty of loose dry snow moving around in the steeps. Photo: N Mattes 

There were a couple of avalanches on E Henderson, one that I think happened today, a few on E Sheep Mountain, some shallower avalanches, and plenty of loose dry snow moving around in the steeps. Photo: N Mattes 

There were a couple of avalanches on E Henderson, one that I think happened today, a few on E Sheep Mountain, some shallower avalanches, and plenty of loose dry snow moving around in the steeps. Photo: N Mattes 

There were a couple of avalanches on E Henderson, one that I think happened today, a few on E Sheep Mountain, some shallower avalanches, and plenty of loose dry snow moving around in the steeps. Photo: N Mattes 

Snow on a post along the Blackmore trail shows how much snow has been falling. I suspect the slow and steady nature of snowfall is what allowed it to do this.

Storm slab avalanche that broke about 400 ft wide at 9200 ft in a ENE facing sub-cirque of Blackmore

Two storm slab avalanches on the east face of Blackmore 8-10 inches deep. One of them ran down the normal skin track.

image of snowpit from Mt Blackmore, NE facing, 9185', HS almost 5 ft

Wind slab around 3-12" deep. NE aspect at 8,000 feet. Occurred sometime on January 8th.

The GNFAC weather station at the top of Sawtelle provides wind, temperature and relative humidity information for forecasting (when it's not covered in a foot of rime ice. Photo: GNFAC

Photo: GNFAC

From the top of Sawtelle. Photo: GNFAC

I observed at least 4 other natural avalanches in the area, not as big but still a tell tale sign to have cautious route finding and avoid slopes steeper than 30 degrees in this mountain range.