Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center » Public Observation

Observation Date:

January 10, 2023

Submitted:

January 10, 2023

Zone or Region:

Bishop Creek

Activity:

Other

Location:

Aspendell - Large natural avalanche

There was a large natural avalanche today above Aspendell that ran into the community and severely damaged/destroyed 3 houses. The slide slid to near the maximum extent possible for the path, I would rate it R4-5. The damage was in line with a D3-3.5 (3 wood framed houses were damaged/destroyed). The slope that slid was not Jawbone canyon, which sits loaded and ready to slide. Hopefully it doesn't slide, but it was unnerving shoving and evacuating friends while sitting in such a large slide path. Everyone on Alpine drive from 138 to the end of the street evacuated following the avalanche.

My friends reported 2 feet of new snow last night, and around 6 feet from this storm system. I didn't take depth measurements, but we dug trenches at least 8' deep to get fully buried trucks out of the snow. It was still snowing heavily when we left around 1630.

Did you observe any avalanches?

Yes

Comments:

A large natural avalanche released at ~1000 this AM from the slope above Alpine Drive. It ran from the top of the slope, possibly into the forest at the end of the drive. In the path were 3 houses which were severely damaged/destroyed. The house that was hit directly was broken off its frame and the roof was broken off and taken about one house length downhill. The other two were severely damaged by the powder blast. Also damaged/destroyed was some mining equipment that had been there since the 1980s. The entire avalanche path went in this event, and it ran from about 9800' to at least 8400', possibly further. All three houses were unoccupied.