Avalanche

Avalanche: Red Rock Chutes

Pete EarleSalt Lake
View on map

Quick report

Slope Angle
38°

Avalanche

Slab Width
107 m
Weak Layer
New Snow/Old Snow Interface
Trigger Type
Skier
Vertical Fall
183 m
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Slab Thickness
61 cm
Trigger Detail
Remotely Triggered
Start Zone Aspect
East
Avalanche Problem
Wind Slab
Start Zone Elevation
2896 m

Was walking the PC Ridgeline with my AAI avalanche class. Came around the corner in the mother in law area, and was demonstrating how to kick a small piece of cornice (after ensuring there were no skiers below). Dropped a 1'X 5' chunk of cornice and as it rolled downslope remotely triggered a SS-ACr-D2.5/R2-I. Crown height was 2-5' deep, and 3-400' feet wide. Slope had been recently loaded by wind. The slope where the cornice rolled down did not release due to lower slope angle. Was unable to access the crown due to hang fire, but appeared to slide at the new snow/old snow interface, but it could have gone down as far as the last week's rain crust. It did not fail into facets. Further down the ridge there was a size 1.5 natural release, so I would expect this was the norm and not the exception today.