Avalanche
- Slab Width
- 5 m
- Weak Layer
- Facets
- Trigger Type
- Skier
- Avalanche Type
- Soft Slab
- Slab Thickness
- 46 cm
- Start Zone Aspect
- Northwest
- Avalanche Problem
- Persistent Weak Layer
- Start Zone Elevation
- 2591 m
Dug a pit on a NW facing slope about 50 ft below where the avalanche was triggered. Slope angle was 30 degrees at the pit site. There was about 2 ft of new snow sitting on top of a 1 1/2 ft of old, rotted snow from October. We noticed a crust layer with small facet layers above and below the crust. ECT produced no propagation. Noticed the facet layer varied in height, which limited any sort of clean sheer.
Our group decided to ski that slope starting about a hundred feet up from the pit (starting at 34 degrees and decreasing quickly to a flat run out), hugging the trees to the west. On our second lap our first skier tirggered a small, soft slab avalanche to their left, which ran about 25 feet. The avalanched produced some cracking in the snow pack around the area of the slide. After all skiers finished the run, the crown (about 15ft wide) was noticed and observed.
Even with some null pit results, the old, faceted snow still proved to be dangerous and difficult to predict. Will be staying off anything steeper than 30 until some consistent, new storms bury that weak layer.
Photo 1 is of the snow column before ECTP, showing the distinct old vs new snow and facet layers