Avalanche
- Slab Width
- 152 m
- Weak Layer
- Facets
- Trigger Type
- Skier
- Vertical Fall
- 610 m
- Avalanche Type
- Soft Slab
- Slab Thickness
- 91 cm
- Trigger Detail
- Unintentionally Triggered
- Start Zone Aspect
- Northwest
- Avalanche Problem
- Persistent Weak Layer
- Start Zone Elevation
- 2987 m
3 skiers approached gobblers south summit (10224) from the north. After reaching the summit, skier 1 skied the ridge to the west of davis gulch and radioed when they were in a good spot. Skier 2 entered davis gulch and skied 400 vert pulling out of the run to the north/east. Skier 3 watched skier 2 pull up and entered following the same line. 200 vert into the run, skier 3 caused a hard slab avalanche that shattered 50 meters below and overto the ridge west of davis gulch. Skier 2 shouted at skier 3 and then to skier 1. Skier 1 moved to a safer area. Skier 2 kept eyes on skier 3 and started to ski down the slope. Skier 3 was carried 650 vert reaching a speed of 27mph, losing a pole and needing to dig out one ski to be free from the debris. After the initial avalanche, the entire west side of the gulch sympathetically released. The final debris pile was way down around 7800 feet.
Forecaster note: the 4 photos below were taken by a separate party (P. Donner) who visited the avalanche after the fact
Incident
- Number Caught
- 1
- Number Carried
- 1
- Number Partly Buried
- 1