Professional Observation
Basic Information
Observation Details
Observation Date:
December 24, 2022 - December 25, 2022Submitted:
December 25, 2022Observer:
Clancy Nelson | ESAC ForecasterZone or Region:
Bishop CreekLocation:
Bardini Canyon - Old AvalancheSigns of Unstable Snow
Recent Avalanches?
None ObservedCracking?
None ExperiencedCollapsing?
None ExperiencedMedia
Advanced Information
Weather Summary
Cloud Cover:
Partly CloudyTemperature:
Above Freezing top to bottomWind:
CalmAvalanche Observations
| # | Date | Location | Size | Type | Bed Sfc | Depth | Trigger | Comments | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Older than a week |
Top of Bardini Canyon N 10300 ft |
D1 | U | O-Old Snow | 2.5 ft | U-Unknown | Step-down avalanche. 1 ft wind slab triggered on a 30 degree rollover stepped down to basal facets. 50 feet wide, 200 feet vertical fall, and 3 feet at the deepest part of the crown. Date is estimated. | None |
I was skiing on my day off and came across an unreported avalanche near the top of Bardini Canyon on the north end of Table Mountain.
- It’s hard to date this slide. The debris was significantly wind-blown. My best guess is that it occurred in the days after the last storm (10th-11th). With several days of strong winds since the 11th, there’s a chance that this avalanche was more recent.
- Tracks that lead into the shallowest part of the crown, and look about as old, make me suspect that a rider may have triggered this slide. It looked like a shallow (<1 foot thick) wind slab that stepped down to basal facets. The crown averaged 2.5 feet thick and was 50 feet wide.
- The slab was hard, Pencil. The snowpack has settled a bunch since the last storm and this may have been a soft slab when it failed.
- The slab broke at a rocky convexity where the slope angle transitioned abruptly from less than 20 degrees to about 30 degrees.
If you come across an avalanche, we would love to hear about it. If you trigger an avalanche we are happy to keep your story private. Either way, avalanches are bullseye data that help make our forecasts more accurate. Thanks for letting us know what you find!
Close