Avalanche
- Slab Width
- 8 m
- Weak Layer
- Facets
- Trigger Type
- Skier
- Avalanche Type
- Soft Slab
- Slab Thickness
- 61 cm
- Trigger Detail
- Unintentionally Triggered
- Start Zone Aspect
- North
- Avalanche Problem
- Persistent Weak Layer
- Start Zone Elevation
- 3018 m
I was skiing down and noticed the snow cracking in front of me. I changed direction in a hurry and headed towards a tree stand, where I immediately triggered an avalanche that ran about 30 feet. The terrain was steep, and loaded with wind drifted snow sitting on well defined facets, sugary snow. Crown was maybe 2 feet at its deepest and maybe 25 feet in width. The avalanche was small, but this setup, in the wrong terrain (steeper, more open, more momentum, more snow), can easily get people in trouble. Just a heads up that new wind drifted snow on high elevation ridgelines or complex terrain are a thing to consider when choosing where to lay fresh tracks.