Colchuck avalanche

If the link doesn't work, it's worth your time to look up Washington Hikers and Climbers on facebook to find this video.

www.facebook.com/banzaimf/videos/10154393776449181/

colchuck avalanche

It's a video of an avalanche taken by someone at Lake Colchuck looking up at the glacier. It was probably raining. I was north in Spider Meadows and there was a soaking rain that grew and decreased in intensity. Probably similar at Coluchuck.

Makes me shiver. I generally operate under the assumption that summer snow is safe. Clearly that isn't true.

I guess it was Saturday morning. Here is an even better video of the avalanche



instagram vid

Summer snow in the Cascades is different from other ranges as the quantities of snow are generally large, the elevations are pretty low, and the temperatures, especially at night are high. Same goes for glacial hazards.

Lots of water to lube up the systems.

Stay smart!

That would have been nerve racking to be near it. Shot from May, much different conditions, but to think that slope does move at times. Timing...

one more view from campers at Colchuck.



and here is a video from the climbers as the avalanche approached them. Would you have time to get out of the way? I don't know.
www.facebook.com/shane.flynn.3323/videos/533711566826926/

Did any of the observers note a trigger? Where was the crown? There's quite a bit of entrained rock/debris for a simple wet slide originating on the glacier itself.