Avalanche hazard on the winter route of the Tooth?

[mkporwit]

So the standard route to approach the Tooth, around Source Lake and under Chair Peak, is generally considered to have serious avalanche hazard. Can anyone comment on the winter route, the one up the Alpental cat track? We're looking to head out there tomorrow and will do our own assessments, but I'm hoping for some overall impressions.

[JoshK]

In my experience most routes through that valley, cattrack included, are either exposed to runouts or travel through terrain where you could trigger a slide. With all the recent slide activity, things are definitely unstable, so be safe and cautious!

 

-josh

[Alex]

Generally speaking if you head up the cattrack on the w side of the valley, and stay high in the first open boulder field (as you approach the "Kiddie Cliff"), and then hug the left side of the first large slide path leading up to Tooth area (I think it might be called Mushroom Slide) you'll be as sheltered as possible in that valley.

 

But the av conditions really do suck right now. Once you are out in that bowl below the Tooth, you'll be exposed to some real av slopes, albeit not big ones, on the opposite (Tooth) side of the valley, leading up to Pineapple Pass. The approach up to Pineapple Pass is a prime av slope!

[Bug]

A few years ago we went up the cat track and across the rock field. One of the guys in my party wanted to cut up the gulley at the end of the rocks. He ended up buried up to his chest.

Avalanche conditions were "considerable" that day.

[scottk]

Don't go this weekend. I don't think you can avoid potential avy slopes in that bowl below the Tooth.

[Mtguide]

It's only about 5 or 6 years ago that a Seattle man and his son were killed in that very area by an avalanche in early march. AV danger at the time was rated "moderate". With the right snow conditions, avalanches originating from the base of the Tooth and Chair Peak can sometimes travel well out into the basin.

 

 

 

Watch yer topknot.

[DirtyHarry]

I imagine a large portion of snowpack solidified quite a bit in the last couple days with the warmer weather yesterday and the cooler temps today and forecasted through the weekend. NWAC says avy danger below 5000 is moderate. I'll be interested to go out tomorrow myself to check it out first hand.

 

There's obviously some layers lower down to be concerned with so do your own analysis and play it conservative. There's been some threads on TAY recently with good snow-geek snow analysis discussion too.

 

I personally don't think winter climbing conditions would be all that great right now but if you don't ski I guess you've got to do something.

[G-spotter]

If you die can I have your stuff?

[AlpineK]

I didn't see the pit, but some other skiers dug one on the upper slopes of Arrowhead today. They said they didn't see any major concerns.

 

That was on one NW facing slope with glades of trees on the slope. I have no idea what a pit on a big broad slope would look like. The bottom line is we saw new snow sluffing, but we didn't trigger anything.

 

Some rain over the next couple days will add to risk in the short term, but longer term ???

[mkporwit]

My partner and I decided not go after all.

[DirtyHarry]

Nice Trip Report.

[olyclimber]

What gear didn't you bring?

[DirtyHarry]

What wasn't the approach like?

[KaskadskyjKozak]

My partner and I decided not go after all.

 

stay home and drink instead?

[Ade]

I'm in Florida but a friend said he heard of someone who'd met a guy who'd been to the parking lot at Alpental. They said that conditions looked really bad, which was impressive given that the guy was partially sighted.

 

Be glad you didn't go.

 

Let the speculation continue.

[Bug]

I am guessing that the speculation will continue to ramble senslessly about weather, snow, more weather and more snow, and then rain and then back to snow.