Avalanche: East Bowl

At approximately 2:30pm I ski cut across a steep (35-40 deg) west facing entry to East Bowl. The top 8 inches of new snow fractured easily and I was not able to traverse far enough north to lower angle terrain before being knocked off balance . Went for an unwanted 250-300 foot ride, deployed my avabag and lost a ski as the avalanche rapidly entrained surrounding fresh snow.

This is a notorious location that I should have avoided especially given Trent’s warning about thin, rocky, steep terrain. This spot has all three and I could have easily dropped a couple hundred feet and made a much safer entry. Fortunately, there was not a lot of propagation from the shallow crown. Only softer new snow failed and slope angle decreased quickly. I stayed afloat and was able to self rescue with no notable injuries.

Pics do not provide much clarity due to afternoon weather but expect to provide an update as I search for my missing ski on Thursday.

DD 40.60205, -111.61508 mid avalanche location