Avalanche
- Slab Width
- 21 m
- Weak Layer
- Surface Hoar
- Trigger Type
- Skier
- Vertical Fall
- 244 m
- Avalanche Type
- Hard Slab
- Slab Thickness
- 46 cm
- Trigger Detail
- Unintentionally Triggered
- Start Zone Aspect
- East
- Start Zone Elevation
- 3109 m
Investigating the crown. The rain/rime crust was only 1cm thick. A sheet of surface hoar lay on the bed surface.
No accident. Skier managed to get off of the hard slab beyond the right flank. Two others had skied the slope prior to the third person triggering the slab. The first two skied down where the slab was 2.5-3' deep; the third came in from the right side where the slab was only 6-8" deep and triggered the thing. Interestingly, his trigger point was right where his traverse in overlapped with the second person's track.
We were on our way to investigate the lower slide as reported by Craig Gordon from the day before. Dimensions for lower slide 1-2' deep also running beneath the rain/rime crust on the Jan 8 surface hoar. Interesting too to note all the sled and skier tracks in all of the other sub-drainages of Snake Creek in similar aspect/elevation without incident.