Avalanche
- Slab Width
- 18 m
- Weak Layer
- New Snow/Old Snow Interface
- Vertical Fall
- 46 m
- Avalanche Type
- Soft Slab
- Slab Thickness
- 20 cm
- Start Zone Aspect
- East
- Avalanche Problem
- Wind Slab
- Start Zone Elevation
- 2987 m
We spent the day skiing the southerly-facing aspects below Cardiff Pass and came across this avalanche between runs. It appears to be skier triggered as there were some tracks adjacent to the slope that slid, as well as what appears to be a track going into the slope at the top.
Similar slopes nearby had some wind-loading and am guessing this slope was also wind-loaded. It also faces east which is a leeward aspect from the recent northwest winds.
The weak layer is a layer of lower-density snow just above the dust crust. I found this weak layer on Thursday in the Catherine's Pass Area, and it is apparently still reactive as other avalanches reported from Saturday are also failing on this weak layer.
We found no other signs of instability such as cracking and it seems you need a denser slab with some wind-loading to make this weak layer reactive.