Avalanche

Avalanche: Bald Mountain

JakeUintas
View on map

Avalanche

Slab Width
91 m
Weak Layer
Facets
Trigger Type
Snowmobiler
Vertical Fall
152 m
Avalanche Type
Hard Slab
Slab Thickness
91 cm
Start Zone Aspect
North
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Start Zone Elevation
3292 m

Group of 7 coming out from Mirror Lake Hwy. Came around from the East side of Bald Mountain, and saw an open area with few tracks at the base of where Reids Peak and Bald Mountain join. A couple of us went a little higher than we should have, with no results. One rider (rider A) turned around before going too high, and fell off the sled - another in the party (Rider B) came to help but Rider A was able ride away with no assistance. Rider B subsequently became stuck. Rider C sidehilled over to help out, and then rode down slope. As Rider C was going down the slope, avalanche broke several hundred feet above rider B who was still on slope and directly above Rider C. Rider B was unable to get his sled to start, jumped off his sled, and ran downhill. Rider B's sled was caught and carried, while Rider B himself was able to safely get away from the slide on foot.

Photos of the slide estimate the crown to be ~8ft tall. Parts of which can be seen in the photo on the left side. There is an indicator of where Rider B's sled was at the time it was caught.