Avalanche

Avalanche: Mt Aire

PattersonSalt Lake
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Quick report

Slope Angle
35°

Avalanche

Slab Width
30 m
Trigger Type
Skier
Vertical Fall
305 m
Avalanche Type
Hard Slab
Slab Thickness
61 cm
Trigger Detail
Intentionally Triggered
Start Zone Aspect
East
Start Zone Elevation
2591 m

Walked up Mt. Aire ridgeline towards summit. Dropped cornice onto slope which remotely triggered a 3' deep X 75' wide HS-ASc-R2-D2.5 on a due East aspect, 35 degrees, at 8500' just below summit. As wind slab pulled out it sympathetically released 2 other pockets that all ran together. Debris ran ~1200' and snapped trees that were 6" in diameter. Weak layer was 1mm facets above a melt freeze crust. Avalanche only occurred on the east aspect where the crust was present. Slab remained in place where the slope leaned more towards the north and where there was no crust.