Avalanche
- Slab Width
- 18 m
- Weak Layer
- New Snow/Old Snow Interface
- Trigger Type
- Skier
- Avalanche Type
- Hard Slab
- Slab Thickness
- 61 cm
- Trigger Detail
- Intentionally Triggered
- Start Zone Aspect
- Northeast
- Avalanche Problem
- Wind Slab
- Start Zone Elevation
- 3078 m
Skinning up to Little Superior on the east facing ridge and our party intentionally triggered a large windslab on the northeast facing slope that broke 30' above us and propagated 50' across the slope. It ran approx 500'.
The wind slab broke at the cornice after I had gotten closer to the edge at each kick turn, attempting to shake it loose. The break ended up covering the previous two kick turn platforms that were even further from the edge of the cornice. The cornice grabbed my downhill ski and caused me to turn slightly downhill and arrest as I watched the debris pile run to the floor. It did not step down, but took all the wind deposited snow with it.
Strong SSE, S and SSW from the night before transported the snow onto a firm layer that had poor adhesion at the new/old snow layer.
This slab is remotely triggered frequently after southern wind transports events but this is the biggest I've seen in a while.