Incident

Avalanche: Franklin Basin

Chuck HulseLogan
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Avalanche

Slab Width
18 m
Weak Layer
Facets
Trigger Type
Snowmobiler
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Slab Thickness
46 cm
Trigger Detail
Unintentionally Triggered
Start Zone Aspect
North
Avalanche Problem
Wind Slab
Start Zone Elevation
2499 m

Our group of 4 experienced riders with avalanche gear we're playing in the trees around 8000-8400ft. Coming up out of the trees I came to a short steep slope. As I got toward the top, the crown broke 15-18" deep in the middle (shallower on a high side) and slid out from underneath me. I slid down about 10 feet with the overturned sled above me, until the handlebar stabbed into the hard base underneath and stopped. The slope broke 60-80ft wide with shooting cracks out from there, the debris slid 30-40ft down to the trees I just came out of and stopped. I was not buried, and did not deploy my airbag. I was the only one on the slope. The other riders were close by and 1 helped correct the overturned sled and exited through the trees below.

Incident

Number Caught
1
Number Carried
1