McGee South Gully

Posted March 28th, 2010 by joshf

Location

United States
37° 33' 40.248" N, 118° 48' 54.2844" W
Date and time of observation: 
March 28, 2010 - 1:31pm
Region: 
McGee Creek Area
Observation Type: 
Snowpack
Avalanche
Route: 

Up a north east gully, down south gully

Red Flags: 
Rapid warming
Obvious avalanche path
Weather Observations
Wind Speed: 
Calm
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Cloud Cover: 
0.25
Precipitation: 
None
Accumulation rate: 
None
More detailed information about the weather: 

Warm sunny day, very calm with light breeze at ridge line.

Avalanche Observations
Avalanche Type: 
Wet
Trigger type: 
Natural
Slope: 
40degrees
Aspect: 
Southeast
Elevation: 
8500ft.
Avalanche Width: 
40ft.
Avalanche Length: 
200ft.
More detailed information about the avalanche: 

Wet natural release that likely occured this past wednesday when winds were calm, skies were overcast, temperatures were warm.  The high cloud cover that day rerediated alot of energy back down to the snowpack.  Debris was about 6' deep, enough that a person could possibly be buried.

Avalanche/Snowpack Photos: 
Comments: 

Warm sunny day.  The breezy conditions that were forcasted didn't come to fruition on Mcgee mountain today as very calm winds predominated.  No wet slide activity observed today, just some older small slides.  South gully was overall shallow snowpack, and in many places below the top couple hundred feet was moist to ground.  Fun terrain, soft snow.  One spot existed where we had to side step over rocks in a narrow choke.  If this storm wasn't coming in, this line wouldn't be skiable much longer.

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