| Posted: 9:37 a.m., Saturday, February 15, 2003 |
Huntington Ravine has LOW avalanche danger. Natural avalanches are very unlikely and human triggered avalanches are unlikely EXCEPT in isolated pockets. Normal caution is advised.
After a week of being in the clouds, the Ravines have finally reappeared! Both ravines have picked up a good amount of snow over the past week. High winds have scoured and battered some areas and deposited snow in others. In Huntington Ravine most of the gullies have been scoured quite a bit, however, isolated pockets of instability may be found. The Fan is a good example of an area to watch out for. Some parts of the Fan have been effected by the wind, while other parts have collected snow due to the strong lee aspect and topographical features in the area such as large buttresses. In Tuckerman Ravine some new fracture lines are visible to the right of the Lip and high on the left side of the Headwall. Realize we have been at Considerable and Moderate for the past few days due to new snow and high winds. The very cold temperatures that we have been experiencing are keeping existing snow instablities from settling. Keep alert to instabilities, you will find them. The cold temperatures have also caused some early stage facets to appear within the snowpack. Cold hard slabs that formed over the week may also be sitting on unconsolidated snow from the 7.5" (19 cm) of low density snow we have received this week. Cold hard slabs tend to have the ability to propagate fractures easily due to high elasticity and stored energy. Keep these factors in mind when you are doing your stability assessments.
As of 8:00 a.m. the summit temperature was -31F (-35 C) with NW at 75 mph (120 kph). The wind chill for these conditions is about -81 F (-63 C). The ambient high temperatures for the summits today are forecasted to be -15 to -25 F (-25 to -32 C) with NW winds 60 to 80 mph (96 to 128 kph). Very cold temperatures are expected to persist through the weekend. It is important to realize the severity of our weather if you plan on adventuring in the mountains over the next few days. In these conditions, very small mishaps can turn into a disaster. BE PREPARED!
As discussed in many of our previous advisories, ice dams have been an on going issue in the Ravines, particularly in Huntington Ravine. Pinnacle Gully has had water pouring down it on a regular basis and there have been reports of strange ice conditions in several of the gullies. Some of these conditions include random ice and rock fall, flowing water, "creaky" ice, and water pools under a thin layer of ice on low angle terrain. The extreme cold temperatures that we are experiencing are probably not helping the situation at all. A spontaneous ice fall occured in Tuckerman Ravine within the past couple of days. Be very aware of the condition of the ice you are climbing.
THE WINTER LION HEAD ROUTE IS OPEN. The route leaves from the Huntington winter access trail and has orange signs starting on the Tuckerman Ravine trail at roughly the 1.8 mile mark. It is a steep and challenging route. Crampons, an ice axe, and the ability to use them with skill are required for safe travel. Avalanche skills are always required to travel safely in the mountains. Be prepared to do your own stability assessments.
The John Sherburne ski trail is improving with this weeks new snow. However, due to high winds expect variable conditions in the form of whales, drifts, and scouring. Some rocks and waterbars are still hidden under the new snow.
AS ALWAYS, THIS ADVISORY IS ONE MORE TOOL TO HELP YOU MAKE YOUR OWN DECISIONS IN AVALANCHE TERRAIN. It should be used along with your own snow stability assessments, knowledge of safe travel techniques, skill in mountain weather's effect on the snowpack, and avalanche rescue.
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