Avalanche

Avalanche: Toots to Boot

Colin GregersenSalt Lake
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Avalanche

Slab Width
61 m
Weak Layer
Facets
Trigger Type
Skier
Vertical Fall
305 m
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Slab Thickness
61 cm
Trigger Detail
Remotely Triggered
Start Zone Aspect
Northeast
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Start Zone Elevation
2804 m

Remotely triggered while exiting the area on the skier's left ridge between Toots and the Bowman slide path.

I had no intentions of skiing the run, but standing on top of it, I certainly considered the possibility I might remotely trigger it from the ridge. I was not disappointed. Was surprised that I did not trigger it until about 100 vertical feet below the top and well away from the start zone. In other words, the slab was well connected and relatively stubborn, until it wasn't.

I've been skiing 3 of the last 4 days since the storm. Collapsing remains the norm, not the exception on mid-to-upper elevations shady aspects.