Avalanche
- Slab Width
- 15 m
- Trigger Type
- Skier
- Vertical Fall
- 9 m
- Avalanche Type
- Soft Slab
- Slab Thickness
- 25 cm
- Trigger Detail
- Unintentionally Triggered
- Start Zone Aspect
- West
- Avalanche Problem
- Wind Slab
- Start Zone Elevation
- 2195 m
We went up Rock Canyon expecting to ski low angle terrain. As we ascended snow on the west slopes seemed stable and we convinced ourselves it was. We topped out at 7800' and skied a gentle ridge down a few hundred vertical feet to about 7200'. Then we saw a west facing line that looked good. We knew it was above 30 degrees. We sent one skier down without incident. I was second and took a line a few yards away from the first skiers line. I saw a lower slope angle and thought I was taking a safer route. After my second turn I saw a shooting crack at my ski tip, fell, and was carried about 10 yards down slope. The lower angle slope was actually a wind loaded pillow. I wasn't buried, recovered just fine, and skied the rest of the way out.
Incident
- Number Caught
- 1
- Number Carried
- 1