Quick report
- Slope Angle
- 41°
Avalanche
- Slab Width
- 122 m
- Weak Layer
- Facets
- Trigger Type
- Skier
- Vertical Fall
- 183 m
- Avalanche Type
- Hard Slab
- Slab Thickness
- 152 cm
- Trigger Detail
- Unintentionally Triggered
- Start Zone Aspect
- North
- Avalanche Problem
- Persistent Weak Layer
- Start Zone Elevation
- 2652 m
This was a repeater avalanche that had broke naturally about a month or so ago. Broke to the ground in the exact same spot but did propagate wider this time than the previous slide. Crown looked to be possibly 6-7 feet deep and 500 feet wide at least. Ran full slope creating a massive debris pile at the lower shelf. Failed to the ground.
According to the skier he had passed the crown about 50' or so when it broke. Cracking loudly, sucking him in and taking him for a ride all the way to the bottom. He came to a stop atop the debris next to a good sized tree. Skis and poles lost. He was extremely lucky to have survived the ride and ended up on top.
There were day old or more snowmobile tracks all over the apron below and the slide debris covered most of them. The skier had ridden many lines far to the lookers right of the bowl throughout the day.
Skier was traveling and skiing alone. He was extremely lucky to have survived this slide. I spoke with him about a half hour after the incident and he was visibly shaken, but grateful to be alive.
Incident
- Number Caught
- 1
- Number Carried
- 1
- Number Partly Buried
- 1