Quick report
- Cracking
- isolated
Heavy wind deposition with cracking, rider triggered avalanche ~40 ft wide, soft slab wind deposited snow ~1.5 ft deep Heavy wind deposition up to 400-500 ft from summit
Weather
- Wind Loading
- moderate
Localized loading
Snowpack
Pit on SSW aspect indicated right side up highly stable snowpack, no failure, homogenous
Avalanche
- Size
- D2 R2
- Type
- SS
- Aspect
- E
- Trigger
- AS
- Elevation
- 6700 ft
We [a party of 3] spent the morning skiing the "gully runs" that are more protected, dug a pit, and were encouraged by the results, did not observe any wind loading on that aspect. When it came time to exit we talked about options for "The Big Run", whether to stick to the trees to skiers right of the main headwall/ basin or try for a more open run. We had noticed cross loading on the way up so we were mindful of that... [Rider 1] went first and said he would ride down to a snag that was visible from the top of the run, but we lost sight of him when he started and he never appeared at the snag. We became concerned and skied out further above the open headwall to try to see him, [Rider 2] was ahead of me and heard/saw cracking. I saw [Rider 1] safely down at the bottom of the run and realized he must have stayed in the trees (He told us later he had started out into the basin and then didn't like what he observed so changed route. I went back to skier's right into the trees and skied down a little further. {Rider 2] dropped down a little further and was starting back towards me when he heard cracking, the avalanche was triggered roughly 30 feet below him. I was to the side of the slide path and [Rider 1] was below where it ran out so thankfully we were all out of harms way.