[cartman]

With the good forecast, dicey asked Schmidt Alti-babe and Alti-dude and myself to go up and give Damnation a go from the Thornton Lakes road up past Marblemount. Had a good mile of road-walking to get to the abandoned road which parallels Damnation Creek. This is still snow-covered enough for good travel. Walked it until it curves NE and dropped down to the creek, and managed to find a decent crossing using a tree belay. Then it was up the steep treed slope on a small ridge leading NW up to the single closed contour at 5000'. The snow was VERY wet and sloppy. This made for much more difficult and time-consuming travel kicking steps up the steep slope, and would have serious consequences later. Temps were warmer than forecast, and there was considerable morning sun, though it was more intermittent in the afternoon. By the time we reached the open slopes below the single closed contour at ~5000', we had a decision to make. We needed to cross a short section of open slope above a long and not so good gully runout, and the soft and sun-warmed slope was a concern. We would also have to come back this way or via a variation a couple hours later when it would probably be less stable. We were not carrying avalanche beacons. Mistake #1. After some debate, we decided to give it a try. This was Mistake #2. We should have turned around and left right here. Spacing out 50-75 feet apart we went one-by-one to some slight tree cover and then up a steep nose. In retrospect, another route directly up and around a small rock band might have been a better choice than the crossing we did. Once over the nose, it was an easy boot over the single closed contour to the summit block, which went fine up to the summit. Views were somewhat clouded in but decent. We reversed our route coming down until we got to the steep nose. Here two of our party glissaded down between the rock band and the nose. Mistake #3. Here we shoud have faced in and booted down the steep slope hugging the rock band. The first glissader triggered a 1' deep and 50' wide loose snow avalanche which pulled him down with it about 200'. We were very lucky. No burial, no injury, and there was a level spot for the slide to stop before it could continue down the steeper gully below. The avalanche involved only the one foot of newest snow with a sliding bed of the slightly older, more consolidated snow below it. A classic spring loose snow avalanche. The rest of the descent went without incident. This was a very sobering experience. Despite knowing better and having multiple warning signs, we continued through a danger zone when we should have turned around. Those warning signs included: Considerable avalanche danger predicted above 4000', especially on sun-warmed slopes. Heavy, wet surface snow on the approach. Heard avalanches coming off the steep slopes on nearby Oakes Peak. Higher than predicted temperature at 5000'. An open, south-facing sun-warmed aspect to cross in the afternoon. Observed point release debris from trees and rocks on this slope. Mistakes we made: Not taking the above observations seriously enough. No avalanche beacons. Did not dig a test pit. Considering the top foot is what slid and the release point was from the top of a convex slope, don't know how much a pit would have helped. Not turning around at the open slope. Too much summit fever. Glissading on a springtime, sun-warmed aspect, which can trigger a slide. Hopefully those who read this will learn from our experience. It's going to be very warm this weekend. Be careful. Eric J. Johnson

[Jim Dockery]

Thanks for the report. As a B.C. skier I deal with this type of condition all the time. What spooks me is crossing under such slopes where I don't have control, but that is normally in the cool of the morning when it is safer. Once I get above it I normally feel OK since we can ski cut the surface sluffs, clear the slope, then ski down safely. Sounds like your glisader should have tried the same, although it is much harder to control when glisading - start up and stop yourself after a few yards once you get a bit of snow sliding infront of you and let it go, testing the slope. In conditions like this you can't just let it rip. Your booting down idea sounds more prudent.

[wildernessed]

The horror of it all. The snow is crap, seemingly baseless, and easy to slough off, that's at least what we have found up in Methow - Twisp area of late. It will only get worse in the near term as this high pressure moves in and plays out. I heard there is suppose to be a cooling trend following it though. Glad you guys made out OK in the end.

[wamtngal]

I'm REALLY glad you guys are OK! Thanks for providing the report, cartman.

[harrymalamute]

thanks for posting your experience, a lesser group of people might not want to expose such a mistake,but by posting you could be very well be saving other persons lives. really glad every one is safe. wouldn't be the same forum with out you all.

[GaliWalker]

The way you described the slope, I am so glad you're all ok! I am also glad that you have framed the report in a way that a meaningful discussion can take place. In this regard, I have a question: Do you feel that if you had been solo, you might have turned back when you first hit the problem spot? To clarify the question, does a group provide a false sense of security in such situations, even if the individuals are all experienced and would individually make a different decision?

[Malachai Constant]

Great report have you considered sending it to NWAC and TAY.

[Tazz]

I was going to say the same thing PIB! sounds just like morning star. BUT with morning star we had i bet over 100+ yrs experience combined. Great group! See folks as I said in the thread in the FMS. It happens, and one can always look back and learn hopefully. Can be humbling to say the least.

[Ancient Ambler]

I admire your courage, and your concern for the rest of us nwhikers, in posting this dispassionate and objective report. We can all learn from your experience. I am very relieved all of you are all right.

[Randy]

I could be wrong, but I remember the big slide on Morningstar being the result of a cornice breaking off (skiers right) near the upper saddle. Thanks for the report Eric.

[Layback]

Wow!!! Thanks for the report Eric. I'm glad that you're all okay.

[Just Todd]

Wow wow wow I'm very glad that no one was hurt, or worse. Thanks so much for posting such honesty, Eric. I'll second the snow being crap right now - 7-11 Slushy up to around 5k feet so it seemed on Cannon last weekend. I'm guessing that the warm spell coming up will make it even more sloppy and prone to sluffing, and I'd guess that the predicted cold spell late next week will put a heavy frozen layer, and maybe some freshy, on top of that. Could be a bad recipe for a short while. The warm sun in the sky is finally here but...let's all still be super cautious of what's under foot (me included).

[yukon222]

Glad to hear everyone made it out OK!!! Scary stuff.

[Mtn Man]

Definitely a lessons learned trip, I'm glad that everyone is OK! I guess if you dance with the devil, you get the pitch fork once in a while Thanks for posting this, I'm sure a lot of people will benefit. B)

[Sadie's Driver]

Good report. I guess you weren't the only folks dealing with avalanche issues: Mt. Washington, New Hampshire