Avalanche

Avalanche: Cowley Canyon

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Avalanche

Slab Width
107 m
Weak Layer
Ground Interface
Trigger Type
Natural
Vertical Fall
213 m
Avalanche Type
Wet Slab
Slab Thickness
91 cm
Start Zone Aspect
East
Avalanche Problem
Wet Snow
Start Zone Elevation
1829 m

There were several very large natural wet avalanches in Cowley Canyon not far above the gate at Camp Lomia. One crossed the popular forest road (FR 047), which is popular with cross country skiers, snow shoers, and mt bikers who are not normally expecting to encounter avalanches...

These were very destructive wet avalanches... Likely mostly loose (point release), but some pulled out as wet slabs around 3 feet deep as the slopes were overrun from above. You can see the crown of one through the falling snow flakes in the picture....

I measured the alpha angle on the avalanche that crossed FR 047 as 38°, which is quite steep... I've included the Theodalite pix which show GPS location and other data...