Avalanche

Avalanche: Porter Fork

John LemnotisSalt Lake
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Quick report

Slope Angle
37°

Avalanche

Slab Width
9 m
Weak Layer
Density Change
Trigger Type
Snowboarder
Vertical Fall
91 m
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Slab Thickness
30 cm
Trigger Detail
Remotely Triggered
Start Zone Aspect
Northeast
Avalanche Problem
Wind Slab
Start Zone Elevation
2957 m

Started the morning with a run in West Porter Fork then decided to ascend Main Porter for a second run. We felt one whumph on the ascent at about 9200' which kept us on a conservative up track. The crux of the ascent was a where our modest slope (about 32) met the ridge line (36-40). We had seen the cornices on the ridge line from a distance and decided it was best to stay far away from the steep slope they were growing on. As I put a ski onto an small roller adjacent to where the slide broke there was a shooting crack at my feet and the slope on the other side of the roller came undone. The crown was 6-12 inches. The slope was manageable but it carried enough snow to knock you down had someone been caught. The debris ran a few hundred feet on low angle terrain. Sorry for the poor picture, I thought we'd get a better view from the opposite side but that wasn't the case.