Valanga

Avalanche: Wedding Ring Ridge

Brett KobernikSkyline
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Avalanche

Slab Width
122 m
Weak Layer
Facets
Trigger Type
Natural
Vertical Fall
61 m
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Slab Thickness
46 cm
Start Zone Aspect
Northeast
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Start Zone Elevation
3018 m

The Wedding Ring Ridge is one of the "usual suspects" that avalanches basically anytime there's a breath of wind. However, these avalanches were a little different than the usual in this location. These were not initiated from cornice drops. They most likely released due to wind drifting snow down onto the slope and overloading the buried persistent weak layer of sugary faceted snow from October. It is also very possible these were triggered from a distance by snowmobilers as there were tracks present at the bottom of the slopes. Either way, this demonstrates how unstable the old weak snow is underneath December snow.