Hidden Lakes - Portal Creek

The avalanche above Hidden Lakes was an R3/ D2 that broke 700 feet wide, 1-2 feet deep, and ran 400 vertical feet on a steep north-facing slope. There are two clear weak layers (surface hoar buried 28 cm deep and the January facet layer 50 cm deep). In this area, they are the weakest I have seen at my recent field days, and they remain reactive in stability tests (ECTP11 & 13 on the surface hoar and ECTP18 & 23 on the near-surface facets). We did not trigger any noticeable collapses or see shooting cracks, but you could certainly trigger an avalanche on nearby slopes with that structure.

See the avalanche observation from March 8  (photos from that ob included below)