Avalanche

Avalanche: Days Fork

KuhnsSalt Lake
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Avalanche

Slab Width
30 m
Weak Layer
Facets
Trigger Type
Skier
Vertical Fall
30 m
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Slab Thickness
91 cm
Trigger Detail
Remotely Triggered
Start Zone Aspect
Northeast
Avalanche Problem
New Snow
Start Zone Elevation
2865 m

I was skinning along the ridge between Cardiff Fork and Days Fork. While on my way up I noticed that the leeward slopes looked pillowed and wind loaded. At a point on my way up I heard a collapse and watched an avalanche run on the Eastern side of the ridge. I was able to safely access the crown and observe the profile. The avalanche broke on a crust with a thin layer of facets above. The crown was about 3 feet deep. The thing that surprised me was how wide it broke, given the terrain that it was in. The slope underneath was not steep enough for it to gain a lot of energy, but it was enough to pull someone through the trees.