Public Observation

Observation Date:

February 22, 2024

Submitted:

February 23, 2024

Zone or Region:

Taos Area

Activity:

Skiing/Snowboarding

Location:

Williams Lake drainage

Did you observe any avalanches?

Yes

Avalanche Type:

Wet Loose

Size:

Size 1: Relatively harmless to people

Elevation:

Alpine

Aspect:

S

Comments:

Saw 3 on Vallecitos' W ridge and 2 on Wheeler. All ran during the warm period on 19-20 Feb.

None reported

Test pit in the Talus Field W of Williams Lake at 11,240', NNE aspect, 25 deg. HS 135 with shallower 110cm in left side of test wall.
Resistance was right side up until the bottom 10-18cm which had 5mm depth hoar. ECTN25 on a decomposing crust about 40cm down.
Surfaces on N aspects were soft 10cm of fist resistence. Didn't see the wind crust I was expecting. Except for observed D1 wet loose slides about 48 hrs old, I saw no class 1 data.

Test and obs wall at 11,240' in the talus field below Lake Fork Peak.