Avalanche
- Slab Width
- 21 m
- Weak Layer
- Facets
- Trigger Type
- Skier
- Vertical Fall
- 183 m
- Avalanche Type
- Soft Slab
- Slab Thickness
- 76 cm
- Trigger Detail
- Unintentionally Triggered
- Start Zone Aspect
- East
- Avalanche Problem
- Persistent Weak Layer
- Start Zone Elevation
- 2804 m
This slide broke at my feet as I emerged from the sheltered northeast facing trees onto a steep convex roll. I could tell the terrain was suspect so I pulled up after a good hard turn at the top. The feature had been cross-loaded with snow, and the aspect wrapped around to the east southeast where a firm melt-freeze crust had developed. The slab failed on the facets above the crust, and was confined to the area that had been exposed to the sun. The snow was stable on slopes without a crust. Conservative skiing and maximum awareness of the terrain around me prevented a nasty ride through the trees and into a gully.