Rescue to Wahoo tour

Location Name: BNSF Avalanche Safety - Wahoo Ridge-Flathead Range Observation date: Tuesday, January 21, 2020 - 22:00	Is this an Avalanche Observation: Yes

Observation made by: Public

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Quick Observation

Toured up from the Rescue Creek trailhead, accessed the Rescue Creek basin and then ascended the looker’s left most avalanche path to the benched terrain between Rescue Creek and Wahoo Creek. Traversed on this bench on a diagonal to the ridge that separates the Wahoo drainage from the Cascadilla drainage. Followed this ridge to the northeast until it terminated in the Path 1183 starting zone terrain.
Objectives were to observe recent avalanche activity, evaluate snowpack structure, and observe snow depth at the starting zone elevation of Path 1183.
We observed the very impressive vegetation damage and debris in the Rescue Creek drainage as well as in the mid-upper elevations of the Wahoo drainage from the large avalanches on Nyack Mountain that were reported and well documented by the Flathead Avalanche Center last week.
Also observed debris from what appeared to be a more recent avalanche in the upper reaches of the Cascadilla basin. Debris terminated in the upper elevations of the basin (~6400’) and remained confined to non-vegetated terrain.
No other recent avalanche activity was observed.
No collapsing or audible failures observed.
Profile conducted on a 35-degree slope in the starting zone of Path 1183.
Elevation at our profile location was approximately 5800’ and exposure was northeast.
Due to time constraints, we did not dig to the ground.
Total snowpack depth at profile location was 102” (260 cm).
Profile depth from the snowpack surface was 72” (184cm).
Stability tests were limited to Extended Column Test and Compression Test.
No propagation in the ECT but ECTN results were recorded at:
- 8” (20cm), 14” (35cm), and 64” (70cm) from the snowpack surface.
Compression Test results were on the same identified layers as the ECT with resistive planer results.
Skied down a westerly aspect in the afternoon into the Wahoo drainage and found extensive rollerballs from the day before but no loose snow avalanches observed.
A rather benign day with air temperatures around freezing, light variable direction winds, and scattered snow showers.
No active windloading observed.
Terrain above ~6500’ elevation was obscured due to low clouds.

Snowpack, Avalanche, Weather Images:

Travel Details

Region:

Flathead Range - Middle Fork Corridor

Activity:

Skiing

Avalanche Details

Avalanche Details:

Date and Time of Avalanche:

Monday, January 20, 2020 - 12:00

Number of avalanches:

More information or comments about the avalanche:

Limited visibility and couldn't really see much except some chunky debris, D2 size. But might have been a cornice fall and/or windslab avalanche we saw in the Cascadilla basin. But much more recent than the large-magnitude slides from early last week, guessing it ran yesterday.

Trigger

Trigger:

natural

Terrain

Aspect:

Northeast

Size

Destructive Size:

D2 Could bury, injure, or kill a person.

Avalanche Location:

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