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December 25, 2014

CB Avalanche Center Christmas Forecast POEM

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The CB Avy Center forecasters have been doing more than an awesome job this year, and this morning you might have read the best forecast yet.  We’ve had Jay-Z references and witty comments, but now we have a poem à la “T’was the Night Before Christmas” from Zach Guy:

Check recent observations for good photos. Photos courtesy CBAC.

Check recent observations for good photos. Photos courtesy CBAC.

Twas the day of Christmas, and around the Crested Butte area,

The snowpack was dangerous, with slides large enough to bury ya.

Beacons were strapped under jackets with care

in hopes that slab avalanches would not be there.

The skiers and riders fired up their sleds

while visions of steep powder lines danced in their heads

When out of the peaks there arose such a clatter.

A natural avalanche…that’s whats the matter.

Away to our binoculars we forecasters flew like a flash

While Than kept on partying away at the Stash.

The light on the breast of the new fallen snow

gave luster to the crown and debris below.

When what to our wondering eyes did appear

A large slab over facets, so crystal clear.

With abundant new snow and windloading this week,

Deeper layers are ready to crumble, so fragile and meek.

This new snow today is adding more weight

And gusty alpine winds won’t soon abate

Fresh and older wind slabs are on the naughty list

But scariest of all are those dang slabs that persist.

Large and tender, they fail in unpredictable ways.

They don’t heal quickly, it takes far too many days.

Watch for naturals! Watch for collapsing!

Watch for cracking and whoomphing!

Go to ridges! Go to low angle!

Avoid windloaded or north facing!

Use cautious routefinding and make the conservative call.

From everyone at CBAC, Happy Christmas to all!



About the Author

2. Will Dujardin
Will Dujardin is our content editor at West Elk Project. He competes in big mountain competitions and coaches the Crested Butte Mountain Sports Team. Skiing is his life and he likes to mix it with other fun things like DH mountain biking and traveling.




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