Silent Bob and the Historic Avy Cycle with CAIC

The first week of March, 2019 will be a week that Summit County (and even the rest of CO) will never forget. A historic storm cycle pummeled the mountains of Summit County, accumulating over seven FEET of snow in just the first 10 days of March. Avalanche danger soared to “extreme” and CDOT struggled to mitigate the slides before they naturally triggered and ran to the valley floor; several covering i70 and Highway 91 with 15-20 feet of debris.
Before March 3rd, 2019, it had been 30 years since an avalanche came down the “Big Sam” slide path in the 10 Mile Canyon and crossed i70. In fact, all 23 of the 10 Mile Canyon avalanche paths slid in those first 10 days of March, triggered both naturally or by CDOT. On March 7th, 2019 “Silent Bob” came crashing down Peak One in Frisco, clearing a path as wide as a ski trail in a dense, lodgepole pine forest, adjacent to the already existing “J chute” on Mount Victoria. This avalanche drastically changed the landscape of the iconic Tenmile Range, visible from almost anywhere on the North side of Summit County. With an avalanche of this size and proximity to the Town of Frisco, you’d think it would’ve been a huge, roaring spectacle… However not one person heard or saw the avalanche happen. Why, you ask?
Join us for an enthralling discussion with CAIC’s Avalanche Forecaster for Eagle and Summit County, Kreston Rohrig, on last year’s historic avalanche cycle, one year after the “Silent Bob” slide path was born. We will enjoy some fine suds at HighSide Brewing while geeking out over snow, mountains, avalanches, and backcountry travel. This event is free and open to the public.