23-24

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>It is very dangerous in the backcountry. We have issued an Avalanche Warning and the danger is rated HIGH on all slopes throughout our forecast area.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Mere inches of new snow are triggering avalanches naturally. With strong southwest wind, slopes will be loaded and drifted which adds more weight to our fragile and unstable snowpack. Yesterday, Ian and I rode into Taylor Fork and toured Sage Basin to Cabin Creek. We saw a large natural avalanche that broke a couple days ago. It propagated 700+ feet wide. On an adjacent slope was a smaller but deep avalanche, likely triggered from the bottom of the slope by a snowmobiler on Tuesday (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30741"><span><span><span><strong><span…;). Ian succinctly stated in his </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/MOhXUC0dK8Q"><span><span><span><strong><span…;, “The equation is simple: recent avalanches, plus people triggering avalanches, plus more snow, means the avalanche danger will spike.” It’s not very complicated.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Stay out of avalanche terrain and stay away from the bottom of slopes. To help, use the 30-20 rule: measuring with an inclinometer, any slope steeper than 30 degrees is avalanche terrain, and runout zone angles should be under 20 degrees (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/_d5_vlY-bjg"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span>… video</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>). </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Triggering avalanches from below or adjacent to a slope is scary and dangerous. A whumpf is the sound of a weak layer collapsing which can travel onto a steep slope and avalanche above you. Typically this type of instability is short lived and rare, but not this year. Dave got surprised on Monday when he triggered an avalanche at Buck Ridge from afar on the flats (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30721"><span><span><span><strong><span…;, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F9kBArjRDc"><span><span><span><strong>…;

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In the last 10 days, the </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/avalanche-activity"><span><span><span><stro… activity log</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span> has over 50 entries of avalanche activity and other signs of instability. It is sobering. We are lucky no one has died in an avalanche. Going in the backcountry is like entering enemy territory with insurgents hiding and watching.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>