Double Top 2-16-05

                                                                            (images from 2-17-05)

This unintentionally triggered avalanche occurred on a steep northeast facing slope under the summit of Double Top Mountain in upper Steep Hollow.

                        The 2 to 3 foot deep crown is about 200' wide.  The slab is medium in hardness. (~4 Finger)

                  Evidence of the human trigger. Snowmobile tracks enter and exit the southern flank of the avalanche.

            The avalanche consisted of recently wind-drifted snow.  The sugary weak layer was on the surface during a period of fair weather before the winds picked up on Friday 2-11-05. Most of the snow in the slab fell on Valentine's Day.

          Other avalanches from the Valentine's Storm Avalanche Cycle

 This avalanche just above Tony Grove Lake was probably remotely triggered.  The 1 to 2 foot deep avalanche on a steep slope was about 40 feet wide at the crown.

      This natural? avalanche on Castle Rock was 1 to 4 feet deep and several hundred feet wide.  The broad avalanche, on a northeast facing slope at about 9500' in elevation is a repeater.  It has avalanched at least three times this winter.