Observation Date: 12/21/2014

Route/Location:
Northeast of Ovando Mountain, directly east of McCabe; skiing old burn/clearcut; 7,000′

Weather:
Cloudy with low visibility, periodic breaks in the clouds, periods of snow, sometimes heavy, mid to upper 20’s.

Wind:
Sustained winds with powerful gusts on ridgetops.

New Snow: 6-12″

Avalanche Activity:
Witnessed two natural slides in small south/southeast-facing bowls of about 35-40 degrees. Both slides propagated entirely across the the top of the bowl and sub-ridges. Crowns looked to be over 12″ – about a foot and half of new snow in last three days – sliding on obvious crust. Seems as if the slides were the result of serious windloading at the top of the bowls.

Several other micro slides off road cuts of similar depth but varying aspects.

Other Comments:

Observer: Grant Copenhaver