Avalanche
- Slab Width
- 9 m
- Weak Layer
- Density Change
- Trigger Type
- Snowboarder
- Vertical Fall
- 12 m
- Avalanche Type
- Soft Slab
- Slab Thickness
- 15 cm
- Trigger Detail
- Unintentionally Triggered
- Start Zone Aspect
- Southwest
- Avalanche Problem
- Wind Slab
- Start Zone Elevation
- 3109 m
My partner and I went out for a morning tour both having read the avy report and knew the danger was high, we talked before the tour about how important terrain management was and the avoidance of any rollers in the runs we decided to take would be. By our third run we had worked our way across the slope far enough to be coming close to the ridge that separates Freeland and Black Bess. I was watching from some protected trees as my partner descended and made a turn on the side of a cross loaded wind drift. This turn triggered the release and my partner was able to ride off the side. The crown was 4-6" but the blocks in the debris pile were significantly larger (12") due to the wind loading, The slide was about 30' wide and ran 40'. I didn't measure the angle in the start zone but I would estimate it was around 35.
This was not an unexpected event but we both agreed that there was a break down in our initial plan and we should've been more cautious with our terrain management. When the clouds broke on our way out around 1pm we could see what appeared to be a similar scenario of cross loading and a large natural running below emma ridge. It appeared to run at least 1000'. I'll post a picture in my next observation.