Avalanche

Avalanche: Yellow Jacket

Hopkins / HopkinsSalt Lake
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Quick report

Slope Angle
32°

Avalanche

Slab Width
5 m
Weak Layer
Density Change
Trigger Type
Skier
Vertical Fall
91 m
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Trigger Detail
Unintentionally Triggered
Start Zone Aspect
Northwest
Avalanche Problem
New Snow
Start Zone Elevation
2560 m

While doing a connector lap, I was skiing down a pretty benign-seeming slope, maybe 31-32 degrees at its steepest, when I felt and heard a wave of snow behind me, touching my butt and backpack. I was able to ski to the side. We were surprised to see this much touchiness at that low elevation (sub 8500') and on terrain that wasn't that steep. This dry loose avalanche had a lot of weight to it and ran about 300.'

Also of note were widespread avalanches occurring in the Main Gobblers area. We counted 5 parties, 2 skin tracks overtop debris, and large scale dry loose debris from most of the drainages and ski runs. Main Gobblers slide was maybe 50' wide and long running. We could also see a slide in the distance down Davis Gulch. I'm assuming these were skier triggered and that people with more info will report.

Sorry, no photos.