Avalanche

Avalanche: Main Days

JoeySalt Lake
View on map

Avalanche

Slab Width
61 m
Weak Layer
New Snow/Old Snow Interface
Trigger Type
Skier
Vertical Fall
76 m
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Slab Thickness
46 cm
Trigger Detail
Cornice Triggered
Start Zone Aspect
Northeast
Avalanche Problem
Wind Slab
Start Zone Elevation
3078 m

Breaking trail up East Main, I was "trap dooring" a bit. A few hasty hand pits showed weak snow just under the old snow surface. As I reached the ridge, I tried to kick off a slide with no luck. Further up, I tried again with a bit of cornice. A small piece of corniced dropped but stopped five feet down the hill. I decided to jump down and push on it some more. I got the cornice and a small sluff going. When the moving snow got 25' down the slope, I saw a fracture breakout, and around the corner. It was a good size slab. The avalanche ran a couple hurndred feet and stopped in the flats. It was large enough to bury a person.

The video is one of my hand pits, the crown of the slide, and a picture of the crown from the skinner on my next lap.