June 7, Cle Elum Valley Avalanche Photos

As of June 7th, vehicles can get as far as the Fortune Creek junction on the Fish Lake road. Today was the first day (since winter) that our crew got eyes on the two large valley avalanches ...

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:20:58 -0700

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As of June 7th, vehicles can get as far as the Fortune Creek junction on the Fish Lake road. Today was the first day (since winter) that our crew got eyes on the two large valley avalanches ...

This Boulder Creek Avalanche slide path. This slide severely damaged a cabin near the Fish Lake road.

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:21:19 -0700

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This Boulder Creek Avalanche slide path. This slide severely damaged a cabin near the Fish Lake road.

The Boulder slide debris near the run-out (just before Fish Lake road).

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:21:32 -0700

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The Boulder slide debris near the run-out (just before Fish Lake road).

Nicole and Pam wouldn't have wanted to be here in mid-February!

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:21:47 -0700

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Nicole and Pam wouldn't have wanted to be here in mid-February!

Our rivers and creeks are jammed with logs! An example up Fish Lake road.

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:22:20 -0700

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Our rivers and creeks are jammed with logs! An example up Fish Lake road.

The Cle Elum Valley is beautiful!

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:22:32 -0700

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The Cle Elum Valley is beautiful!

You are looking at the bottom of the Fortune Avalanche. Check out the mature trees in the forefront. Fortune Creek is below. So is our 4W301 trail, although you can’t see it because of ...

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:22:55 -0700

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You are looking at the bottom of the Fortune Avalanche. Check out the mature trees in the forefront. Fortune Creek is below. So is our 4W301 trail, although you can’t see it because of ...

Fortune Creek near the Van Epps junction.

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:23:10 -0700

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Fortune Creek near the Van Epps junction.

This is a rather deep patch of snow hanging on where the Fortune slide came down. We estimated the depth at 6 feet near the middle.

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:23:27 -0700

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This is a rather deep patch of snow hanging on where the Fortune slide came down. We estimated the depth at 6 feet near the middle.

Eugene works its way through the debris field.

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:23:42 -0700

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Eugene works its way through the debris field.

We have a lot of work to do in this area!

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:23:58 -0700

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We have a lot of work to do in this area!

You are looking at the bottom of the main slide path. The slide originated 2,000 feet above this, so you can imagine the energy it had generated by this point. Check out the mature trees; ...

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:24:21 -0700

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You are looking at the bottom of the main slide path. The slide originated 2,000 feet above this, so you can imagine the energy it had generated by this point. Check out the mature trees; ...

The area topography actually directed the massive slide into three divisions near the bottom. You are still looking at the largest. Fortune Creek is below.

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:24:48 -0700

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The area topography actually directed the massive slide into three divisions near the bottom. You are still looking at the largest. Fortune Creek is below.

This is a view of the second, and smallest division. The trees to the left and right divide this section from the other two.

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:25:36 -0700

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This is a view of the second, and smallest division. The trees to the left and right divide this section from the other two.

This is the bottom of the 2nd finger.

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:26:18 -0700

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This is the bottom of the 2nd finger.

This is a photo of the third finger. The power of this avalanche was impressive!

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:26:40 -0700

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This is a photo of the third finger. The power of this avalanche was impressive!

Blurry photo, but you can get an idea of the carnage. This is the middle section.

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:27:03 -0700

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Blurry photo, but you can get an idea of the carnage. This is the middle section.

Photos don’t do the avalanche justice; this is the smallest finger of the slide. It didn’t quite carry the speed and power to take out the timber all the way to the creek.

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:27:46 -0700

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Photos don’t do the avalanche justice; this is the smallest finger of the slide. It didn’t quite carry the speed and power to take out the timber all the way to the creek.

Just another batch of trees completely destroyed.

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:28:27 -0700

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Just another batch of trees completely destroyed.

You can see here where the slide originated, approximately 1,500 feet above this photo (in mid-February).

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:28:38 -0700

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You can see here where the slide originated, approximately 1,500 feet above this photo (in mid-February).

The aftermath of the slide looked much more impressive after the snow melt. Scott (middle), Russ (left) and I were one of the first to see it right after it happened. We knew it was big, b ...

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:29:06 -0700

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The aftermath of the slide looked much more impressive after the snow melt. Scott (middle), Russ (left) and I were one of the first to see it right after it happened. We knew it was big, b ...

This gives you a good view of the slide path. Remember how much snow we had in mid-February? Too much for this mountain to hold on to!

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:30:01 -0700

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This gives you a good view of the slide path. Remember how much snow we had in mid-February? Too much for this mountain to hold on to!

Kyle, Nicole, and Russ check out the snow deposit about 400 feet above the deposition.

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:30:19 -0700

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Kyle, Nicole, and Russ check out the snow deposit about 400 feet above the deposition.

Just more damaged timber.

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:30:34 -0700

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Just more damaged timber.

The power of Mother Nature is scary sometimes!

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:30:56 -0700

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The power of Mother Nature is scary sometimes!

The bottom of the main slide.

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:31:32 -0700

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The bottom of the main slide.

We are standing where Don May and his crew groom snowmobile trails in the winter. This slide would have been horrible if it had happened during a busy weekend day or when Don’s crew was g ...

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:31:57 -0700

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We are standing where Don May and his crew groom snowmobile trails in the winter. This slide would have been horrible if it had happened during a busy weekend day or when Don’s crew was g ...

An experienced Kayaker tests his skills on the Cle Elum river during a contest last Saturday.

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:32:14 -0700

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An experienced Kayaker tests his skills on the Cle Elum river during a contest last Saturday.

This is a controlled contest setting. As mentioned, the rivers and creeks are extremely dangerous right now due to high, swift water and log jams.

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:32:33 -0700

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This is a controlled contest setting. As mentioned, the rivers and creeks are extremely dangerous right now due to high, swift water and log jams.

Uncle Russ (middle) is telling another story. I think he is losing his audience.

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:32:56 -0700

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Uncle Russ (middle) is telling another story. I think he is losing his audience.

Back at the Fortune slide. The temp was above zero degrees F, so Uncle Russ was comfortable in shorts.

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:33:16 -0700

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Back at the Fortune slide. The temp was above zero degrees F, so Uncle Russ was comfortable in shorts.

This was a relatively small slide that occured on the Fish Lake road in early spring.

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:33:39 -0700

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This was a relatively small slide that occured on the Fish Lake road in early spring.

Slide path.

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:33:52 -0700

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Slide path.

You can go about another 1/8 mile up before hitting a snow bank.

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:34:13 -0700

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You can go about another 1/8 mile up before hitting a snow bank.

Bossco, the Jeep belongs to Pam Bosman. She is a pretty good wheeler!

nobody@smugmug.com (509ers) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:34:30 -0700

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Bossco, the Jeep belongs to Pam Bosman. She is a pretty good wheeler!