Avalanche

Avalanche: Emma Ridges

Caroline GleichSalt Lake
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Avalanche

Slab Width
3 m
Trigger Type
Skier
Slab Thickness
25 cm
Start Zone Aspect
Southeast
Start Zone Elevation
2987 m

Pockety windslabs were sensitive along the Emma ridgeline today around 11 am-12pm. The party in front of us breaking trail triggered a small, windslab along the ridgeline. No one was caught or carried, but thought we'd submit the observation/avalanche for future parties. There were many more loaded "whales" that felt hollow and delicate. Interesting enough, both West Bowl and the Emma's had windslab formation. There was heavy wind loading from the NNW across the ridge and at the highest elevations and a lot of cross-loading. The wind slab avalanches produced were minor, but if you didn't expect them, they could easily catch a skier off guard on the up or the down.