Avalanche below Ralston Peak

Location Name: 
Peak 8002
Region: 
Desolation Wilderness Area (including Emerald Bay)
Observation Date & Time: 
Tuesday, February 28, 2023 - 20:00
Location: 
38.819232, -120.096848
See map: CalTopo
Is this an Avalanche Observation?: 
Yes



Terrain Alerts: 
Slopes Steeper than 30 degrees
Obvious Slide Path
Trigger Points
Terrain Traps
Observation made by: Professional Observer

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Observation
Description of Snow, Weather, and Avalanche Conditions: 

Driving down the access road from Sierra At Tahoe, I noticed a large crown on the south east facing slopes across Hwy 50 near Peak 8002. My estimates are very rough as I was driving and my passenger snapped the photos. The crown was large and I assume to be about a week old. I couldn't observe any evidence of debris in the runout but quite a bit of new snow had fallen since 2/28. The crown is on top of a clear avalanche path. Many of the trees near this slide were burned. 

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Trigger: 
Natural
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Aspect: 
Southeast
Starting Elevation: 
above-treeline
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Destructive Size: 
D3 Could bury and destroy a car, damage a truck, destroy a wood frame house, or break a few trees.
Relative Size: 
R2 Small
Crown Height: 
4 ft
Avalanche Width (Average width): 
200ft.
Avalanche Length (Vertical Run): 
800ft.
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