Yankee Boy's Melting Avalanche

[Trabuco]

The San Juan mountains had a huge snowfall this year (reports said 600-700% more than average). Avalanches abounded in this area snapping trees off leaving debris behind. Here there are not many trees as in other places since the tree line is right here. The 'spires' are what caught my attention with the magnificent mountain off to the right. Taken with my Canon 24mm macro tilt-shift lens using shift no tilt on this image. This is the same place Jim recently posted a vibrant image from.

 

[AlanLichty]

I like those spires - they almost mimic the shape of the trees just below.

 

[JimFox]

Hey Neil, a very nice capture with the snow. I also like those little peaks and the details on them. When did you go?

While I saw avalanche damage in Yankee Boy Basin, it paled in comparison to the road leading into American Basin. I lost count after counting 25+ severe avalanche debris fields where there would be hundreds to a thousand trees knocked over like match sticks. In fact the day after I got into American Basin with Alisa, the road back to Lake City got cut off by 3 separate landslides that happened the next day. We ended up with the only way to get out was to get onto the Alpine Loop road with our 4x4 vehicles to get out. They didn't get the road back open until almost 2 weeks later.

So yeah, all that snowfall was awesome, but next time the Forest Service or BLM need to come in and conduct some avalanche control techniques as those avalanches were extremely destructive.

 

[Linda Combs]

Very nice

 

[Ben Egbert]

Very nice scene.

 

[Bart Carrig]

Well seen and executed. Love the spires.

Bart

 

[Beth]

wonderful photo. love how the avalanche goes right past the spires.

 

[Trabuco]

Hey Neil, a very nice capture with the snow. I also like those little peaks and the details on them. When did you go?

While I saw avalanche damage in Yankee Boy Basin, it paled in comparison to the road leading into American Basin. I lost count after counting 25+ severe avalanche debris fields where there would be hundreds to a thousand trees knocked over like match sticks. In fact the day after I got into American Basin with Alisa, the road back to Lake City got cut off by 3 separate landslides that happened the next day. We ended up with the only way to get out was to get onto the Alpine Loop road with our 4x4 vehicles to get out. They didn't get the road back open until almost 2 weeks later.

So yeah, all that snowfall was awesome, but next time the Forest Service or BLM need to come in and conduct some avalanche control techniques as those avalanches were extremely destructive.

Jim, Thanks for your comments. This pic was taken July 14. I saw many of those debri fields that you mentioned and stuck in one at 4:30am trying to get through Corkscrew Pass to the Red Mountains, but thankfully I managed to get out.