Avalanche

Avalanche: Patsy Trees

C Dec, UAC Staff, Alta Ski PatrolSalt Lake
View on map

Avalanche

Slab Width
76 m
Weak Layer
Facets
Trigger Type
Skier
Vertical Fall
122 m
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Slab Thickness
61 cm
Trigger Detail
Unintentionally Triggered
Start Zone Aspect
North
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Start Zone Elevation
2926 m

We were descending Grizzly Gulch via the standard road and came across fresh avalanche debris that had buried the skin track and ran to the flats.

We had just passed a party that was ascending and they didn't mention the slide and there were no ski tracks on the debris.

It appears a single rider triggered the slide from lower angle terrain on the lookers right side of the slope. The avalanche then propagated east and uphill approx. 250 to 300 feet into what the new Ski Atlas calls Pettipants.

The Alta Ski Patrol responded to this avalanche to do another run through with transcievers because of the busy nature of this area. They were able to verify one track in and one track out on the lookers right side and clear the debris of any transciever signals. If you trigger an avalanche in a busy area adjacent to the highway or a ski area please call to report it. Read more about what to do if you trigger an avalanche and no one is caught or injured HERE. Thanks to C Dec for reporting this and doing an initial transciever search. We also talked to another avalanche class that did a transciever search of the debris.