predictable avalanche sites in ADKs?

[Squintyken]

i suppose the first thing i should say is that this is NOT meant to be a "chicken-little" thread (i.e. not "OMG the sky is falling!").

Question - i am looking for a list of fairly predictable avalanche sites in the adirondacks in order to avoid them, right from the beginning in my winter trip planning.

to give you an idea of what i mean - here is such a list for New Hampshire:

http://www.tuckerman.org/avalanche/terrainandconditions.htm

LOCATION: Webster Cliffs, Monroe Gulf, Oakes Gulf, Gulf of Slides, Tuckerman Ravine Area, Lion Head, Raymond Cataract, Huntington Ravine, East Snowfields of Mount Washington, Great Gulf Headwall, Jefferson’s Knee, Jefferson Ravine, King Ravine, Castle Ravine, Burt Ravine, Ammonusuc Ravine, Monroe Brook

Table 2. Major large avalanche areas in the Presidential Range. Many other smaller, more isolated avalanche prone areas are present.

I imagine that mountains and geographic features with names such as "Slide" and "Avalanche" might offer some clue. (do ya think?!)

Question - are there avalanche advisories for the ADKs that are specific, like there are for say Tuckerman's ravine in NH? (Tuckermans has a peculiar geography and weather patterns which results in Avalanches every winter).

I am also aware of some of the "recipe" for Avalanches:

terrain + snowpack + weather

"Most slab avalanches occur on slopes with starting zone angles between about 30 and 45 degrees, but slabs occasionally occur on slopes less than 30 degrees."

gullies, ravines, generally tree-less slabs are good suspects...

After a search of VFTT i found this article helpful, http://www.adirondackexplorer.org/aavalanche.htm
recommended by Sardog 1

but unfortunately NY DEC seems to have re-vamped their website so many links i find in VFTT just get redirected to a new home page.

thanks in advance for your tips

 

[cbcbd]

Question - are there avalanche advisories for the ADKs that are specific, like there are for say Tuckerman's ravine in NH? (Tuckermans has a peculiar geography and weather patterns which results in Avalanches every winter).

There is no avalanche center for the ADKs and not many in the East. Avalanche.org has a list and links to all the centers.


I guess the more obvious places to consider would be the slides. But there is just too much to consider when trying to predict "avalancheable" slopes.

If you plan on being in avalanche terrain I suggest taking the AIARE level one course... lots of good info.

But like you said... anything with the name "slide" or "avalanche" is a pretty good start.

 

[DougPaul]

One thing you can do is just look. Any previous slide path will likely go again at some point in the future. Old slide paths may be visible as a band of younger trees going up and down the fall line.

Keeping in the trees is generally safer, but be aware that a slide could come from above and hit the trees. A rule of thumb is, if there is enough room between the trees to ski, there is enough room for it to slide.

Stay on ridges...

IIRC, there have been several threads on the topic in the past--a search should find them.

Doug

 

[Tom Rankin]

This has also been discussed on ADKHPs:

http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3034&highlight=avalanche

 

[thuja]

i am looking for a list of fairly predictable avalanche sites in the adirondacks in order to avoid them, right from the beginning in my winter trip planning.

thanks in advance for your tips

Rather than looking for a specific list of places to avoid, I suggest you spend your effort learning to recognize avalanche terrain, and the conditions which are likely to produce them. You don't have to know a lot. A little knowledge goes a long ways. Avalanche danger in the Adirondacks is overall pretty low.

My strong intuition is that the vast majority of adirondack avalanches occur on slides. Open slopes, 30 to 45 degrees. Stay off those, stay in the trees on steeper terrain, and you're probably safe.

Although I wouldn't camp directly under a slide path in winter, in general, there is very low danger that an avalanche would spontaneously come down from above and catch you. You should not generally worry about crossing the low-angle runout zone of an avalanche path. Most people swept up in avalanches triggered the avalanches themselves (or someone in their party did).

Snowpack in the Adirondacks is fairly maritime (e.g, at least intermittently pretty warm, with wet, dense snow), so the snowpack tends to consolidate fairly fast after fresh snowfall. If you are not out in the 24-48 hours after a heay snowfall, avalanche risk will generally be low. In many common conditions, the snowpack is very solid and even in avalanche-prone areas there is little to fear. A clear cold period following warmer weather, with crunchy snow, for example. Continental snowpacks, such as one might encounter in Colorado or Alberta, are considerably more dangerous, as instabilities tend to lurk much longer in cold snowpacks.

Good skiiers are most at risk, because many of them seek out open skiable slopes in the 30-40 degree range, and fresh snow (which is less stable) is nicer to ski. If you're not a skiier, you won't have to deal with this temptation. Rain on snow can also lead to instability, causing spontaneous slides, but most of us stay out of the mountains for other reasons in such conditions.