Avalanche

Avalanche: Mill Hollow

Bob WardLogan
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Avalanche

Slab Width
30 m
Weak Layer
New Snow/Old Snow Interface
Trigger Type
Skier
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Slab Thickness
30 cm
Trigger Detail
Intentionally Triggered
Start Zone Aspect
North
Avalanche Problem
Wind Slab
Start Zone Elevation
2743 m

We had been skiing north facing slopes all day with no red flags. This slope is different than what we had been skiing as it is between two canyons and gets a lot of wind loading. I decided to ski cut it, and it fractured and ran down before I could even get across the slope. The top 12" were more cohesive/slabby than other snow we had been skiing. The bed was fairly hard and smooth, which is different than other north slopes we had skied. I suspect it had slid before the recent storm, and the new snow did not bond well to the surface.